Phillies Ace Doing Something No Other Pitcher Has Done in Six Decades

Ranger Suárez’s most recent accomplishment puts the Philadelphia Phillies’ ace in rare company.

May 10, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Ranger Suárez won yet another start for the Philadelphia Phillies on Tuesday night, as the left-hander tossed seven five-hit innings in a 5-2 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Suárez also struck out 10 and walked two as he improved his season record to 9-0 and trimmed his ERA to 1.36.

With that, he added to a list of growing accomplishments in what is turning into a career-making season.

He is the first pitcher in MLB with a 9-0 start and an ERA that low in 58 years, per NBC Sports Philadelphia.

The accomplishment also connects to a piece of Phillies lore. One other Phillies pitcher had an ERA that low through their first 10 starts of a season — Grover Cleveland Alexander more than 100 years ago.

Alexander is a Baseball Hall of Famer who started his career in Philadelphia in 1911 and pitched 20 years, winning the pitching triple crown three times and finishing his career with a 373-2-8 record and a .256 ERA. He also pitched for the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals.

This isn’t the only time that Suárez has reached a rare level of baseball history during his incredible start to the season.

The Phillies won each of his first eight starts, with Suárez claiming the decision in seven of them.

Per OptaStats, four Major League pitchers in baseball’s modern era (since 1901) had a WHIP of 0.72 in their first eight starts with their team winning all eight.

The other three pitched in baseball’s dead ball area and are all, like Alexander, in the Baseball Hall of Fame — Christy Mathewson in 1901, Addie Joss in 1907 and Mordecai “Three Finger” Brown in 1908.