Ranger Suárez

Ranger José Suárez (born August 26, 1995) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB).

The Phillies signed Suárez, a native of Pie de Cuesta, as an international free agent in 2012. His first season in the Venezuelan Summer League (VSL) was cut short by a drug suspension, but he returned to pitch in the VSL for two more seasons. In 2014, after giving up only one walk for the duration of the season, he began to attract the attention of the Phillies organization, and he was moved to the Rookie League the following year. Suárez' stock continued to rise in 2016, when he pitched a no-hitter with the Williamsport Crosscutters. In 2017 and 2018, he continued to rise through the Phillies' farm system, spending time in Double-A and Triple-A as a starting pitcher with a high strikeout rate.

Suárez made his major league debut in 2018, when the Phillies were in need of an additional starting pitcher. He returned to Triple-A at the start of the 2019 season but was a mainstay within the Phillies by the end of June. He was used as a relief pitcher for most of his appearances that season, but was in contention for a role in the starting rotation in 2020. Suárez ultimately missed most of the shortened season after contracting COVID-19 during training camp. He returned to the team in 2021 as a long reliever, pitching a stretch of successful middle innings in a depth-challenged roster, before joining the starting rotation at the trading deadline. Suárez served as the third starter during the 2022 Phillies season and was a key factor in the team winning the National League pennant.