Do Phillies fans need to worry about Ranger Suárez’s stuff after spring debut?
The left-hander featured lower pitch velocity in his first outing of the spring.
The 2025 MLB season will be crucial for Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suárez. He is entering a contract year and will be a free agent at the end of the season. The left-hander changed agents during the offseason, hiring the well-known Scott Boras. The move increases the probability that the starter will not sign a new contract with the Phillies during the regular season.
Suárez had his first outing of spring training on March 4 versus the New York Yankees. He threw for two innings and allowed one hit along with two strikeouts. Philadelphia manager Rob Thomson and shortstop Trea Turner scolded the pitcher when he attempted to stop a pitch hit back to the mound with his throwing hand. MLB.com beat writer Todd Zolecki wrote about another topic that may be concerning but does not appear to be an issue for the starter: a drop in velocity.
Phillies fans should not be concerned about the drop in Ranger Suárez’s pitch velocity
Suárez is focused on having a good season but also remaining healthy.
“We all know to get a Cy Young [Award] you need to pitch really well for a whole season,” Suárez said, per Zolecki. “I think that’s the first thing I have to do. Remain healthy. Pitch well. But I’m focused on staying healthy throughout the year.”
Suárez experienced a drop in velocity versus the Yankees. Zolecki wrote that the 29-year-old’s four-seam fastball reached 89.8 mph. This speed was down 2.6 mph from his average last spring and 2.0 mph from his regular season average.
