Sep 12 2023 09:45 PM
It's always nice when a guy who has been around a while in the minors suddenly gets it, and makes a name for himself just before the team is forced to put him on the roster or watch him reach free agency. Force that issue, Son.
But that's not quite what happened to Joander Suarez this season. Pitching for high-A Brooklyn in his fifth minor league season over six years (sitting out 2020, naturally), the Upscalin' Venezuelan didn't knock anybody on their asses with a 5.08 ERA over 90 1/3 innings, walking 45 batters along the way, but he certainly established himself as a rotation staple with 118 strikeouts in that same 90 1/3 innings, the first time in his career he saw such extensive use.
Still, a 5.08 ERA is a 5.08 ERA. But end-of-season attrition being what it is, that was good enough to get Joander called up to AA Binghamton. And then something happened.
In his first start for Bingo, Jo-Jo locked up against the Nats-affiliated Harrisburg Senators, and damned if the line in his Eastern League debut wasn't six innings of no-hit, one-walk, shutout ball in the Rumble Ponies 1-0 win over the Senators. The feat was enough to earn Suarez Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. A no-hit debut!!
But hey, it was the Senators, last place in the Eastern League's Southwest Division at 26-38 (as of tonight). Lightning can hit anybody for one night. A blind squirrel and all that.
But surely by his next game, against the Rockies-affiliated Hartford Yard Goats, somebody would have a scouting report. But holy shit! This time he went seven innings! And as it was a double-header, seven innings means "complete game"! And damned if he didn't allow no hits AGAIN! A complete-game no-hitter, and a second consecutive Eastern League Pitcher of the Week Award!!!
So that's Joander Suarez' AA line so far: 13 innings pitched, 0 runs, 0 hits, 2 walks, 0 hit batsmen, 10 strikeouts. Unblemished! An Unfailin' Venezuelan! If the rotation continues on beat, he'll get a chance to make some more history on Thursday against the Reading Fightin' Phils.
And then, who knows? There's probably a good chance that he joins the team for the playoffs and gets to test his newfound invulnerability against top competition. Maybe he gets assigned to the Arizona Fall League? Maybe he gets an invite to Spring Training?
Whatever happens, two weeks ago, he was just another player. Now, suddenly, he's a guy.