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‘Very relaxed’ Red Sox’ Ranger Suárez jokes: ‘I’ve got to ask my mom or my dad’
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- ‘Very relaxed’ Red Sox’ Ranger Suárez jokes: ‘I’ve got to ask my mom or my dad’
FORT MYERS, Fla. — New Red Sox starter Ranger Suárez has a reputation for being calm and easygoing. He doesn't know exactly how that became his demeanor.
"I've gotta ask my mom or my dad," he joked.
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The 30-year-old lefty said he's always acted that way.
"There are some people who might say I don't really care much about what I'm doing, but it's not like that," Suárez said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. "That calmness helps me to stay focused, and I feel like that's just the way I am."
Suárez made his first spring training start Tuesday against the Pirates at JetBlue Park. He was scheduled to throw 35 pitches and finished at 32 pitches (22 strikes) in 1 ⅔ innings. He gave up three hits, including a two-run home run to Baseball America No. 1 prospect Konnor Griffin. The lefty struck out two and didn't walk anybody.
"I was working on the sweeper against righties," Suárez said. "I think last year, I wasn't too sharp with it. That was my goal today — breaking balls against righties."
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Manager Alex Cora described Suárez as "consistent." He said he spoke with Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and Suárez's former Philadelphia teammate Kyle Schwarber about the pitcher.
"And this whole thing about him having no pulse in big moments, you can see it," Cora said. "The way he goes about his business is very relaxed. But when he's on the mound, he's a bulldog. He knows what he wants to do."
Suárez's calmness has helped him perform in the postseason. He has gone 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA in 11 playoff outings, including eight starts.
"He's a competitor," Cora said. "He's not a hard thrower that strikes people out. Induces weak contact and has been on the big stage and has been successful."
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Suárez admitted to feeling a pulse before Tuesday's start, which was his first in a Red Sox uniform.
"Yesterday I was talking to ( Payton) Tolle and I told him I was excited for today, maybe a little bit anxious," Suárez said.
His ability to induce weak contact drew the Red Sox to Suárez. They signed him to a five-year, $130 million contract in free agency in January.
In 2025, Suárez ranked in the 98th percentile in hard-hit percentage (31.1%), the 95th percentile in average exit velocity (86.5 mph) and the 89th percentile in barrel percentage (5.5%).
Suárez escaped the first inning by getting Nick Yorke to ground into a 6-3 double play.
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"That's my goal every time I get somebody on base," he said. "I try to get soft contact and try to get a double play like I did today."
Suárez said that he'll make one more Grapefruit League start (Sunday against the Orioles) before departing for the World Baseball Classic to pitch for Venezuela.
Suárez smiled when asked if Venezuela has told him which game he'll start.
"I think the manager needs to tell you that," he said. "Whenever they tell me to pick up the ball and throw, I'll be ready for that day."
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