Eugenio Suárez

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Eugenio Suárez
Suárez with the Seattle Mariners in 2025
Free agent
Third baseman
Born: (1991-07-18) July 18, 1991 (age 34)
Puerto Ordaz, Bolívar, Venezuela
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 4, 2014, for the Detroit Tigers
MLB statistics
(through 2025 season)
Batting average.246
Hits1,434
Home runs325
Runs batted in949
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Eugenio Alejandro Suárez (born July 18, 1991) is a Venezuelan professional baseball third baseman who is a free agent. He has previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Suárez signed with the Tigers as an amateur free agent in 2008 and made his MLB debut with the team in 2014.

Suárez was traded to the Reds following the 2014 season. The Reds signed him to a seven-year contract extension in 2018, then traded him to the Mariners in 2022. After two seasons, Seattle traded him to the Diamondbacks. On April 26, 2025, Suárez became the 19th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in one game. Arizona traded him back to Seattle in July 2025. He is a two-time All-Star. He hit 49 home runs, most for a Venezuelan-born player, in both 2019 and 2025.

Career

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Detroit Tigers

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Suárez signed with the Detroit Tigers as an amateur free agent on October 9, 2008. He played for the Venezuelan Summer League Tigers in 2009 and 2010. He played for the Gulf Coast Tigers of the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League and the Connecticut Tigers of the Class A Short Season New York–Penn League in 2011 and the West Michigan Whitecaps of the Class A Midwest League in 2012.[1] With the Whitecaps, he had a .288 batting average and 21 stolen bases in 135 games.

Suárez started the 2013 season with the Lakeland Flying Tigers of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League and was promoted to the Erie SeaWolves of the Double-A Eastern League during the season.[2][3] He was added to the Tigers' 40-man roster on November 20, 2013.[4]

Eugenio Suárez, smiling in a white Detroit Tigers uniform on a baseball field
Suárez with the Detroit Tigers in 2014

Suárez began the 2014 season with Erie, and was promoted to the Toledo Mud Hens of the Triple-A International League in May.[5][6] Suárez was promoted to Detroit for the first time on June 4[7] and entered that night's game in the seventh inning. In his first at-bat, he reached base via a fielder's choice. On June 7, Suárez made his first major league start in a game against the Boston Red Sox and recorded his first hit, a solo home run.[8][9] He finished his rookie season with a .242 batting average, with 4 home runs and 23 RBIs in 85 games. He grounded out as a pinch hitter to end Game 2 of the American League Division Series (ALDS), his only appearance in his first postseason.[10]

Cincinnati Reds

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On December 11, 2014, the Tigers traded Suárez and minor league pitcher Jonathon Crawford to the Cincinnati Reds for starting pitcher Alfredo Simón.[11][12] On June 11, 2015, Suárez became the Reds' regular starting shortstop after Zack Cozart's season-ending injury.[13] He finished the 2015 season with a .284 batting average, with 13 home runs and 48 RBIs, and was second among NL shortstops in errors, with 19.[14] After trading Todd Frazier to the Chicago White Sox, the Reds announced Suárez would be moved to third base full-time, with Cozart returning to shortstop after his injury.[15]

In 2016, Suárez hit 21 home runs and drove in 70 runs while hitting .248 and striking out 155 times (8th in the league). On defense, he was second in the major leagues with 23 errors. In 2017, he hit 26 home runs and drove in 82 runs while batting .260.[14]

Eugenio Suárez running between first base and second base in a white Cincinnati Reds uniform
Suárez with the Reds in 2018

On March 16, 2018, Suárez signed a seven-year, $66 million contract with the Reds through the 2024 season, with a club option for 2025.[16] Batting .315 with 19 home runs and 68 RBIs in July, he was named to his first MLB All-Star Game.[17] Suárez finished the season leading the team with 34 home runs and 104 RBIs and leading all NL third basemen with 19 errors.[14] He was selected to play in the 2018 MLB Japan All-Star Series that followed the season.[18]

In 2019, Suárez played 159 games, finishing with a .271 batting average, 49 home runs (2nd in the NL), 103 RBIs (10th), and struck out an MLB-leading 189 times while leading all NL third basemen in errors, with 17.[14] His 49 homers set new single season records for both NL third basemen and Venezuelan-born players.[19][20] He led the National League in pull percentage (52%), and made contact with the lowest percentage of pitches he swung at outside the strike zone (44.2%) of all NL batters.[21][22] In October 2019, Suárez was awarded the Luis Aparicio Award, which is given annually to the best Venezuelan player in MLB.[23]

On January 28, 2020, it was reported that Suárez underwent right shoulder surgery to remove torn, loose cartilage, an injury that occurred during a swimming pool mishap at his residence in Pinecrest, Florida.[24] He had injured his shoulder when he dove head-first into the shallow part of his home's pool and hit the bottom of the pool.[25][26] During the shortened 2020 season, Suárez hit .202/.312/.470 with 15 home runs and 38 RBIs in 57 games, and was fourth among NL third basemen in errors, with five.[14] He was 2-for-9 in two NL Wild Card Series games.[27]

In 2021, Suárez's batting average fell to .169 through the first five months of the season. Despite a resurgence in September and October in which he batted .370, he finished the 2021 season with a .198 average and 171 strikeouts (third in the league). He also recorded 31 home runs and 79 RBIs. On defense, he was in the bottom 2% of major leaguers in outs above average.[28]

Seattle Mariners

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On March 14, 2022, the Reds traded Suárez and Jesse Winker to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Justin Dunn, Jake Fraley, Brandon Williamson, and a player to be named later, later announced to be Connor Phillips.[29][30] The transaction was a cost-cutting measure that saved the Reds just under $36 million but was unpopular with Reds fans.[31] On July 8, he hit his first career walk-off home run in a 5–2 extra-innings win over the Toronto Blue Jays. On September 7, he recorded his 1,000th career hit with a 2-run home run off Chicago White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech. On September 11, Suárez homered twice in an 8–7 win over the Atlanta Braves, helping to atone for a blown 4-run lead in the top of the 9th by taking Kenley Jansen deep for a walk-off solo shot. In 2022, he batted .236/.332/.459 with a league-leading 196 strikeouts and 10 errors, fourth among AL third basemen.[14][32][33] He was 7-for-20 in the postseason, hitting a home run in Game 1 of the ALDS.[27][34]

In 2023, he played in all 162 games for Seattle and batted .232/.323/.391 leading the league with 214 strikeouts and 11 sacrifice flies.[14]

Arizona Diamondbacks

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On November 22, 2023, the Mariners traded Suárez to the Arizona Diamondbacks for reliever Carlos Vargas and catcher Seby Zavala.[35] Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto later said the trade was part of an effort to reduce the Mariners payroll.[36]

In his first year with the Diamondbacks in 2024, he played in 158 games and batted .256/.319/.469 with a league-leading 11 sacrifice flies, along with 30 home runs and 101 RBI.[14] In November 2024, the Diamondbacks exercised Suárez's $15 million option for the 2025 season.[37]

On March 31, 2025, Suárez was named the National League Player of the Week for the first week of the season after going 4-for-17 (.235) and slugging 1.143 with four home runs and seven RBI in that period including four home runs in the first three games of the season in a four-game home series against the Chicago Cubs.[38] On April 26, Suárez became the 19th player in MLB history to hit four home runs in a single game, doing so versus the Atlanta Braves.[39] He became the second player in MLB history, along with Carlos Delgado, to hit four home runs in only four plate appearances in a game. He was also the third player to achieve the feat in a game that his team ultimately lost.[40] On April 28, Suárez was again named the National League Player of the Week, co-winning with Andy Pages for the fifth week of the season after going 8-for-20 (.400) and slugging 1.050 with four home runs and five RBI in that period including his four home run game.[41] On June 1, Suárez hit a 466-foot 2-run home run off pitcher Mitchell Parker in a 3–1 victory over the Washington Nationals. That home run was the farthest hit ball by a Diamondbacks player since Christian Walker blasted a 467-foot shot in April 2022 against Tylor Megill of the New York Mets. It was also the longest home run Suárez has hit in the Statcast Era (since 2015).[42] On June 20, Suárez went 4-for-6 with two home runs and three RBI performance against the Colorado Rockies. With his performance, Suárez became the 12th active player to reach 300 career home runs, slugging Nos. 299 and 300. He also become the third Venezuelan-born player to reach 300.[43] On June 23, Suárez was named the National League Player of the Week for June 16–22, a span in which he batted .440 (11-for-25) with five runs, four home runs, 10 RBI, and an OPS of 1.464.[44] He played in his second All-Star Game in July.[45] On July 21, Suárez was named the National League Player of the Week for July 14–20, a span in which he batted 5-for-10) with five runs, four home runs, seven RBI, and an OPS of 2.283. He became the third player to win four Player of the Week awards in a season, joining J. D. Martinez (2017) and Shohei Ohtani (2024).[46] In 107 games for the Diamondbacks in 2025, Suárez batted .248/.320/.575 with 36 home runs and 87 RBI.

Seattle Mariners (second stint)

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On July 31, 2025, the Diamondbacks traded Suárez to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Juan Burgos, Tyler Locklear, and Hunter Cranton.[47][48] Suárez hit his 49th home run of the season on September 25, matching his career high as the Mariners clinched the AL West title.[49] With Seattle, Suárez batted .189/.255/.428 in 53 games. He reached a new single-season career high with 118 RBI.[14]

In 2025, on October 17, he hit 2 home runs, including a grand slam, in the bottom of the 8th inning of a tied game 5 of the ALCS to help the Mariners bring the series to 3–2.[50]

Personal life

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Suárez and his wife have two daughters. They reside in Pinecrest, Florida.[51]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Jones, Emily (July 25, 2012). "Whitecaps shortstop becoming top Tigers prospect". Mlive.com. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  2. ^ Lowe, John (March 8, 2013). "Tigers' Eugenio Suarez leaves big impression on Jim Leyland with his glovework". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  3. ^ Martin, Jim (May 5, 2013). "Suarez makes impact for Erie SeaWolves". Goerie.com. Archived from the original on December 27, 2018. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
  4. ^ "Tigers purchase contracts of seven players". Detroit.tigers.mlb.com. November 20, 2013. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  5. ^ Lowe, John (May 22, 2014). "SS help in the future? Detroit Tigers promote Eugenio Suarez to Toledo". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved June 5, 2014.
  6. ^ Iott, Chris (May 21, 2014). "Detroit Tigers infield prospect Eugenio Suarez promoted from Double-A Erie to Triple-A Toledo". mlive. Retrieved March 9, 2025.
  7. ^ "Tigers call up Suarez to boost shortstop spot". MLB.com. June 4, 2014. Archived from the original on June 6, 2014.
  8. ^ Iott, Christ (June 7, 2014). "Shortstop Eugenio Suarez hits solo home run for Detroit Tigers in first major league start". Retrieved June 9, 2014.
  9. ^ "BOS@DET: Suárez launches solo homer for first MLB hit | 06/07/2014". MLB.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  10. ^ "2014 American League Division Series (ALDS) Game 2, Detroit Tigers vs Baltimore Orioles: October 3, 2014". Baseball Reference. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  11. ^ "Tigers obtain Alfredo Simon from Reds". USA Today. Associated Press. December 11, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  12. ^ Beck, Jason (December 11, 2014). "In separate deals, Tigers land Cespedes, Simon". MLB.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
  13. ^ Fay, John (June 12, 2015). "Reds will miss more than Zack Cozart's glove, bat". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved June 12, 2015.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Eugenio Suárez Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com.
  15. ^ "Frazier goes from Reds to White Sox in 3-team, 7-player deal". AP News. December 17, 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  16. ^ Fay, John (March 16, 2018). "Cincinnati Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez proves that it can pay ($66 million) to be a good guy". Cincinnati.com. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  17. ^ Staff, WLWT Digital (July 8, 2018). "Votto, Gennett, Suarez selected for 2018 MLB National League All-Star Team". WLWT.
  18. ^ "Eight Players Selected for Japan All-Star Series". The Official Site of Major League Baseball Players Association. September 10, 2018. Archived from the original on September 12, 2018. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  19. ^ Nightengale, Bobby (December 17, 2019). "Eugenio Suárez sets NL third baseman HR record as Milwaukee Brewers clinch playoff spot". Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  20. ^ "Batting Season & Career Finder: For Single Seasons, Born in Venezuela, From 1871 to 2020, (requiring HR>=40), sorted by greatest Home Runs". Stathead. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
  21. ^ "Major League Leaderboards » 2019 » Batters » Plate Discipline Statistics". Fangraphs. January 1, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  22. ^ "Major League Leaderboards » 2019 » Batters » Batted Ball Statistics". Fangraphs. January 1, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  23. ^ Sheldon, Mark (October 23, 2019). "Suárez named top Venezuelan MLB player in '19". MLB.com. MLB Advanced Media. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2019.
  24. ^ Sheldon, Mark (January 28, 2020). "Eugenio Suárez has shoulder surgery". MLB.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  25. ^ "Suarez's shoulder still on mend after pool mishap". ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 3, 2020. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  26. ^ "Suárez working to get his shoulder healed after pool mishap". dayton-daily-news. Associated Press.
  27. ^ a b "Eugenio Suárez Postseason Batting Game Logs". Baseball Reference. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  28. ^ "Eugenio Suárez Statcast, Visuals & Advanced Metrics | MLB.com". Baseball Savant.
  29. ^ "Mariners Acquire INF Eugenio Suárez & OF Jesse Winker from Cincinnati". March 14, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
  30. ^ "Mariners Send Minor League RHP Connor Phillips To Cincinnati as PTBNL in Suárez-Winker Trade". March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  31. ^ Blackburn, Sam (March 16, 2022). "Cincinnati Reds fans sad: Sonny Gray, Jesse Winker, Eugenio Suarez out". zanesvilletimesrecorder.com. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  32. ^ Stone, Larry (September 17, 2022). "Commentary: Eugenio Suarez's role in Mariners' 2022 success more than 'good vibes'". Spokesman.com. The Seattle Times. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  33. ^ Mailhot, Jake (September 16, 2022). "Eugenio Suárez Powers the Mariners Toward the Postseason". FanGraphs. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  34. ^ "Eugenio Suárez slugs a solo home run to left field | 10/11/2022". MLB.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  35. ^ Gilbert, Steve (November 22, 2023). "Eugenio Suárez traded to D-backs". MLB.com. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
  36. ^ Krame, Daniel (August 2, 2025). "Two years later, Mariners jump at chance to bring Suárez back". MLB.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  37. ^ Gilbert, Steve (November 7, 2024). "Suárez 'very excited' to stay with D-backs after option picked up". MLB.com. Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  38. ^ "Player of the Week". MLB.com. March 31, 2025.
  39. ^ "D-backs' Eugenio Suarez 19th ever with 4 home runs in game". ESPN.com. Associated Press. April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  40. ^ Gilbert, Steve (April 27, 2025). "Suárez is 19th player in MLB history with a 4-homer game". MLB.com. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  41. ^ "Player of the Week". MLB.com. April 28, 2025.
  42. ^ "Eugenio Suarez hits 1 of the farthest home runs by a Diamondback in Statcast era". Arizona Sports. June 1, 2025. Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  43. ^ "D-backs' Eugenio Suárez homers twice to reach 300 for career". ESPN.com. Associated Press. June 21, 2025. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  44. ^ "Player of the Week". MLB.com. June 23, 2025.
  45. ^ Goldsmith, Charlie (July 15, 2025). "A Q&A with All-Star Eugenio Suárez". fox19.com. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  46. ^ "Player of the Week". MLB.com. July 21, 2025.
  47. ^ "Mariners Acquire INF Eugenio Suárez From Arizona Diamondbacks". MLB.com. July 31, 2025.
  48. ^ Passan, Jeff (July 31, 2025). "Mariners acquire Eugenio Suarez in trade with Diamondbacks". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
  49. ^ Destin, Andrew (September 25, 2025). "Suárez HR helps Seattle Mariners sweep Rockies, hit 90 wins". Seattle Sports. The Associated Press. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
  50. ^ Snyder, Matt (October 18, 2025). "Mariners vs. Blue Jays score: Suárez, Raleigh put M's one win away from World Series". CBS Sports. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  51. ^ "Eugenio Suárez Stats, Fantasy & News". MLB.com.
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