How Good Will Ranger Suarez be in 2022?

 How Good Will Ranger Suarez be in 2022?

Andrew Epstein

March 24, 2022

Ranger Suarez is one of the more fascinating pitchers in baseball heading into the 2022 season. Suarez spent time in the Phillies bullpen to begin the 2022 season, accumulating four saves in that role before his number was called into the rotation as injuries piled up for them. Despite the tough ask to switch gears on short notice, Suarez found success right away back in the rotation. In the bullpen before the change, Suarez pitched to a 1.51 ERA and he followed that up with a 1.12 ERA as a starter. Needless to say, Suarez, who finished the year 8-5 with a 1.36 ERA with four saves and 107 strikeouts, was fantastic wherever he was asked to be. 

It is important to note right off the bat that it will be nearly impossible to repeat his 2021 season with anywhere near the same numbers as he put up last year. He was that good. The strikeout numbers will almost certainly go up this season as long as he logs more innings in a full time starter role, and he’ll figure to pile up some more wins as well which is useful if you're targeting him in fantasy. In the middle of a rotation surrounded by top of the rotation pitchers such as Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, I expect Suarez to fit right in behind them and produce a very solid year. The only other season where he had appeared in more than four games prior to last was back in 2019 when he went 6-1 with a 3.14 ERA . This guy is a good pitcher, there's no way around it. Even though he's only thrown a bit over 173 innings in his big league career, he has pitched very well with each extended opportunity he’s had. 

From a Fantasy Baseball perspective: Aside from a couple smaller injuries in the past, I don't see any reason not to target Ranger Suarez in the middle rounds of any fantasy draft. He's extra valuable in leagues with a RP spot as he carries the extra eligibility from last season's stint as a closer. At his average draft position which ranges from about 100-200, I say pick him up and hope for somewhere around his career numbers, just don't be expecting a repeat of a sub-1.50 ERA.