Ranger Suarez and the Art of Pitching

Ranger Suarez has come out firing for the Phillies in 2024. Suarez has a 1.36 ERA (7th best) after 5 starts and is coming off his 2 best starts. A complete game shutout vs the Rockies and 7 shutout innings against the Reds.

Ranger isn't a pitcher that will blow hitters away with velocity and spin. He keeps hitters on a see-saw, he does such a great job of attacking the inside and outside part of the plate. He sequences his pitches incredibly well and gets the hitters to play into his game-plan.

This shows the pitch movement and percentiles for all of Suarez's pitches. Low velocity, low spin, low vertical break but 3 pitches with a ton of horizontal movement.

Suarez wants hitters to make bad swing decisions and that's exactly what he's gotten this year. He doesn't throw many strikes, he currently has the 19th lowest zone% with 40.5% (Marcus Stroman has the lowest zone% with an absurd 30.4%).

On top of the low zone%, he has 6th best chase rate (38%), and 18th lowest zone swing% (65%).

Pitching Report vs RHB

This report shows the location of all Suarez's pitches broken down by pitch type. The heatmap is for all of Suarez's pitches against RHB.

The first thing that stands out is the command of all 5 pitches. There's a clear trend to where Suarez wants to throw each pitch and each pitch covers a different part of the zone.

Sinker (28% usage)

• Highest zone%, lowest swing%

• Majority are dotted on the outside corner but he can front hip them too.

• Count breakdown: 1st pitch usage (35%)

  • Favorite pitch to throw when he's behind in the count (35%)

  • 2 strikes: (23%)

Curveball (23% usage)

• 2nd lowest zone%, highest whiff%

• Great job of keeping it down and usually out of the zone. Plays off his sinker locations incredibly well.

• Count breakdown: 1st pitch usage (22%)

  • Favorite pitch to throw when he's ahead in the count (30%)

  • 2 strikes (32%) - most used 2 strike pitch

  • 0-2 (48%)

4-seam Fastball (19% usage)

• 2nd lowest swing%

• This is really just a pitch to surprise hitters and change their eye level. He throws it up in the zone and constantly gets hitters to swing and miss under the ball.

• Count breakdown: 1st pitch usage (17%)

  • Will break the 4-seam out in almost any count

  • 2 strikes (20%)

Changeup (16% usage)

• Lowest zone%, highest swing%, highest chase%

• Command has been exceptional, this is his best pitch against RHB (0 for 17, 5K)

• Count breakdown: 1st pitch usage (16%)

  • Favorite pitch to throw in 0-1 counts (32%)

  • 2 strikes (17%)

Cutter (14% usage)

• 2nd highest zone%, 2nd lowest whiff%

• This is another pitch Suarez uses to keep hitters off-balance. A hitter can be looking for a sinker to tail and instead it cuts in on their hands.

• Count breakdown: 1st pitch usage (10%)

  • Favorite count to throw it is 1-1 counts (30%)

  • 2 strikes (6%)

RHB Approach:

Hitters have to try to dictate the AB against Suarez. Once he gets you on the see-saw it's very difficult to get back on track.

Attacking sinkers early in counts and laying off the CB + CH is when hitters find the most success. I also think hitters should key in on one part of the zone and only look to attack pitches in that quadrant.

That's what makes Suarez so difficult though, he can adjust to the offenses approach incredibly well. In his first 2 starts he used his sinker the most, his third start his 4-seam had the highest usage, and in his last 2 starts he used his curveball the most. Offenses can't go in with a set game-plan, they have to adjust to what Suarez likes on that day.

vs LHB (faced only 26 batters)

Sinker (59% usage)

• Highest zone%, 2nd highest swing%

• Suarez consistently attacks lefties inside with the sinker

• Count breakdown: first pitch usage (85%)

  • Uses it majority of the time in non-2 strike counts (only thrown 11 of 61 with 2 strikes)

  • 2 strikes (28%)

Changeup (21% usage)

• Lowest zone%, highest whiff%

• Suarez has such great command of the CH that he can throw it low and away to LHB. Completely different location than he uses it against RHB.

• Count breakdown: first pitch usage (11%)

  • Waits for 2 strike counts to throw it. (15 of 22 thrown with 2 strikes)

  • 2 strikes (39%)

4-seam Fastball (11% usage)

• Lowest swing%, has not generated a whiff

• Keeps it away and surprises hitters when he throws it.

• Count breakdown: first pitch usage (4%) (1 thrown)

  • 2 strikes (21%) (8 of 11 thrown with 2 strikes)

Curveball (9% usage)

• 2nd lowest zone%, highest swing% and chase%

• Keeps it low and away. The high horizontal movement makes it very effective in this spot vs LHB

• Count breakdown: first pitch usage (0%)

  • 7 of 9 thrown when Suarez is ahead in the count (16%)

  • 2 strikes (13%)

LHB Approach:

Similar to RHB, lefties have to attack sinkers early in the count. Suarez is somewhat easier to figure out when he's facing lefties. Sinkers early in the count, curveballs to help him get to 2 strikes, changeups and 4-seams with 2 strikes.

A LHB can try to move off the plate early in the count and turn on a sinker inside. Suarez has given up 4 hits on his sinker against LHB, 2 were on first pitches.

Summary

Ranger Suarez is a difficult puzzle for hitters to figure out. He has great pitch-ability and knows how to adjusts in-game. In an era of overpowering pitchers with freakish velocity and movement, Suarez has found success by being crafty.