Padres Reliever Claims Major MLB Award

An award-winning performance.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Padres relief pitcher Robert Suárez has been named the National League Reliever of the Month for May. The 33-year-old right-hander was tremendous in May, posting a 0.73 ERA, a 0.57 WHIP, and allowing just a .136 average. He gave up just one earned run in 12.1 relief innings, and notched seven saves.

No one’s as smooth as Suarez. pic.twitter.com/4SDI07QhdM

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) June 3, 2024

Overall on the season, Suárez has posted a 0.69 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 24 strikeouts, 17 saves, and just two earned runs allowed across 26 innings pitched. Suárez is currently tied for third in MLB in saves with New York Yankees reliever Clay Holmes, only behind St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley and Cleveland Guardians reliever Emmanuel Clase. Helsley won the NL Reliever of the Month award in April, and Clase won the American League Reliever of the Month in May.

This is a marked improvement for Suárez, who posted a 4.23 ERA across 27.2 innings in 2023, and a 2.27 ERA in 2022. Prior to his MLB career, Suárez played Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan, and was the Central League saves leader in both 2020 and 2021, as well as an NPB All-Star in 2021.

This is also the first time Suárez has won this award. The last time a Padre won the award was Josh Hader, who won it in April 2023 with 10 saves, a 0.69 ERA, and 17 strikeouts. Hader now plays for the Houston Astros. While the loss of Hader was seen as a huge deal, the Padres appear to have found a successful replacement in Suárez, and the team is on track to secure the wild card berth that eluded it a year ago.