Robert Suarez

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked San Diego Padres #13 prospect in 2022
  Track Record: Suarez posted 1.71 ERA in 47.1 innings in the Mexican League in 2015 but had never been part of an MLB organization when he signed with Softbank in Japan after the season. He missed all of 2017 after having Tommy John surgery and moved on to Hanshin, where he had a 1.16 ERA and 45 saves in 2021 and did not allow a home run in 62.1 innings. Suarez exercised his option to become a free agent and signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the Padres right before the lockout began in December.
  
  Scouting Report: Suarez has an imposing presence on the mound and aggressively goes after hitters with his plus-plus fastball. His fastball lives at 96-97 mph and touches 101 with late explosion and ride, and he throws it in all quadrants of the strike zone. Suarez developed an 88-92 mph split-changeup in Japan that flashes plus and has become his go-to secondary offering. He relied on a short, tilting slider early in his career, but it’s now mostly a chase pitch. Suarez attacks the strike zone with plus control and posted a career-low walk rate of 1.2 per nine innings in 2021.
  
  The Future: Suarez will step right into the Padres’ bullpen in 2022. He has a chance to emerge as a high-leverage option quickly.

• April, 2022 Scouting Report
  BA Grade: 40/Medium
  
  Track Record: Suarez posted 1.71 ERA in 47.1 innings in the Mexican League in 2015 but had never been part of an MLB organization when he signed with Softbank in Japan after the season. He missed all of 2017 after having Tommy John surgery and moved on to Hanshin, where he had a 1.16 ERA and 45 saves in 2021 and did not allow a home run in 62.1 innings. Suarez exercised his option to become a free agent and signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the Padres right before the lockout began in December.
  
  Scouting Report: Suarez has an imposing presence on the mound and aggressively goes after hitters with his plus-plus fastball. His fastball lives at 96-97 mph and touches 101 with late explosion and ride, and he throws it in all quadrants of the strike zone. Suarez developed an 88-92 mph split-changeup in Japan that flashes plus and has become his go-to secondary offering. He relied on a short, tilting slider early in his career, but it&#39s now mostly a chase pitch. Suarez attacks the strike zone with plus control and posted a career-low walk rate of 1.2 per nine innings in 2021.
  
  The Future: Suarez will step right into the Padres&#39 bullpen in 2022. He has a chance to emerge as a high-leverage option quickly.
• December, 2021 Scouting Report
  Track Record: Suarez posted 1.71 ERA in 47.1 innings in the Mexican League in 2015 but had never been part of an MLB organization when he signed with Softbank in Japan after the season. He missed all of 2017 after having Tommy John surgery and moved on to Hanshin, where he had a 1.16 ERA and 45 saves in 2021 and did not allow a home run in 62.1 innings. Suarez exercised his option to become a free agent and signed a two-year, $11 million contract with the Padres right before the lockout began in December.
  
  Scouting Report: Suarez has an imposing presence on the mound and aggressively goes after hitters with his plus-plus fastball. His fastball lives at 96-97 mph and touches 101 with late explosion and ride, and he throws it in all quadrants of the strike zone. Suarez developed an 88-92 mph split-changeup in Japan that flashes plus and has become his go-to secondary offering. He relied on a short, tilting slider early in his career, but it’s now mostly a chase pitch. Suarez attacks the strike zone with plus control and posted a career-low walk rate of 1.2 per nine innings in 2021.
  
  The Future: Suarez will step right into the Padres’ bullpen in 2022. He has a chance to emerge as a high-leverage option quickly.