Red Sox fans can have their gripes with how the front office has handled this offseason, but one thing they can hang their hats on is that they have built a very good pitching staff, especially the starting rotation. That rotation only got stronger after the Sox inked Ranger Suarez to a five year contract worth $130 million.
Suarez joins the rotation as the projected number two starter behind Garrett Crochet. According to multiple numbers, Suarez is arguably coming off of the best season of his career as he enters his age 31 season. His 3.20 ERA, 3.21 FIP, 17.4 strikeout minus walk rate, and 4.0 fWAR are all career bests since he transitioned to a full time starter’s role in 2022. Suarez has been a staple in a Phillies rotation that has been one of the best in baseball over the past couple of seasons, so what can the Red Sox expect the southpaw to provide in 2026 with his new club?
What the Red Sox can expect Ranger Suarez to provide
Suarez fits the mold of a “high-floor” pitcher. He might not have the characteristics of an ace, but he can almost always be counted on to provide at an above-average level.
As far as workload goes, Suarez isn’t a workhorse but he makes most of his starts. In each season since 2022, he has made at least 22 starts and has thrown at least 125 innings. His career high in innings is 157 and ⅓ which he delivered last year in Philadelphia, so he has never carried a major workload, but it’s also worth noting he has covered a lot of postseason innings over the last couple of years as well.
Suarez made a name for himself in the 2022 postseason where he worked out of both the rotation and the bullpen. In 14 and ⅔ innings across five appearances, he only gave up two earned runs and also recorded the save for the Phillies in the NLCS game five clincher that sent Philly to the World Series. He has appeared in 11 postseason games and has made eight starts between 2022 and 2025. In 42 and ⅔ innings, Suarez owns a 1.48 ERA, a mark that ranks first among the 38 pitchers with at least 20 postseason innings in that time frame. Suarez’s postseason experience and track record of success might be the most valuable asset he is bringing to Boston.
Ranger Suarez's unique skill set
Suarez finds his success on the mound in a bit of an unconventional manner compared to the modern day pitcher. He fastball velocity only averaged 91.3 mph in 2025, but yet still had one of the best seasons of his career. That’s because Suarez relies on his excellent command of the strike zone, his deep arsenal, and his ability to limit damage to put opposing hitters away.
Suarez walked a career low 5.8% of hitters in 2025 and also allowed a career low 31.1% hard-hit rate (percentage of batted balls with an exit velocity over 95 mph). Among pitchers that threw at least 150 innings in 2025, his hard-hit rate ranked first overall. That is not a new development either as he ranks eighth among qualified starters dating back to 2022 (34.0%).
It’s rare that a pitcher can throw as many strikes as Suarez does while also limiting damage. Hitters are always left guessing and off balance facing Suarez as he throws five different pitches over 10% of the time - his fastball, cutter, sinker, curveball, and changeup. He also sneaks in a slider roughly five percent of the time. All of his pitches but his fastball are above-average according to run value, with his best performing pitch being the curveball with a run value of 6.9 in 2025.
There is a lot to look forward to for Red Sox fans as Ranger Suarez joins one of the more dynamic starting rotations in baseball. His postseason experience and improving track record as a full-time starter should give Red Sox fans confidence that they at least have a starting rotation that can help lead them back to the playoffs in 2026 despite what the front office may do (or don’t do) elsewhere.