José Suárez (baseball, born 1998)

José Rances Suárez Quintero (born January 3, 1998) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher in the Los Angeles Angels organization.

A native of Naguanagua, Venezuela, Suárez signed with the Angels as an international free agent at the age of 16 in 2014. After spending five seasons in the Angels farm system, he made his major league debut in 2019. On September 4, 2021, Suárez threw the first complete game of his career. In 2022, he accumulated over 100 innings pitched for the first time in his major league career.

Career
Suárez signed with the Los Angeles Angels as an international free agent on July 3, 2014. He spent his first professional season in 2015 with the Dominican Summer League Angels and Arizona League Angels, compiling a combined 3-3 record and 2.97 ERA in 15 games (13 starts). In 2016, he pitched for the Arizona League Angels and Orem Owlz where he was 1-4 with a 4.84 ERA in 12 games (six starts).

Suárez played 2017 with the Arizona League Angels and Burlington Bees where he pitched to a combined 6-1 record and 3.28 ERA in 15 starts. He started 2018 with the Inland Empire 66ers and was promoted to the Mobile BayBears and Salt Lake Bees during the season. In 26 starts between the three clubs, he pitched to a 3-6 record with 3.92 ERA.

The Angels added Suárez to their 40-man roster after the 2018 season. He opened the 2019 season on the injured list with shoulder soreness, and was assigned back to Salt Lake upon his return. On June 2, Suárez was promoted to the major leagues for the first time to start versus the Seattle Mariners, where he picked up his first major league win. He finished the season with a 7.11 ERA in 81 innings, allowing 23 home runs. In 2020, Suárez recorded a 38.57 ERA after two starts lasting $2 1⁄3$ innings in total before being optioned off the roster.

Suárez made his first major league appearance of the 2021 season on May 10 against the Houston Astros. He pitched four innings, allowing one run. He was the starting pitcher in the 2021 MLB Little League Classic. In four innings, Suárez gave up three runs and struck out four in the 3-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians. On September 4, 2021, against the Texas Rangers, Suárez pitched his first complete game, allowing one run and striking out eight batters. In 23 games (14 starts), he logged an 8–8 record and 3.75 ERA with 85 strikeouts in $98 1⁄3$ innings pitched.

In 2022, Suárez made 22 appearances (20 starts) and registered an 8–8 record and 3.96 ERA with 103 strikeouts in 109.0 innings of work. The year marked his second consecutive season going 8–8 with an ERA under 4.00, and he set new career–highs in strikeouts and innings pitched.

Suárez began the 2023 season out of the Angels' rotation, struggling to a 7.89 ERA across his first five starts. In a May 7 outing against the Texas Rangers, Suárez departed after $2 2⁄3$ innings (in which he allowed 7 earned runs) with an apparent injury. An MRI revealed a left shoulder strain, and he was placed on the injured list the following day. He was transferred to the 60-day injured list on June 23. Suárez was activated from the injured list on September 11.

In 2024, Suárez made 18 appearances for the Angels and struggled to an 8.15 ERA with 37 strikeouts across $35 1⁄3$ innings pitched. On June 17, 2024, Suárez was designated for assignment. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Salt Lake on June 24.