Phillies breakout star recognized as best pitcher in MLB's first half

The 2024 Philadelphia Phillies were always expected to have great starting pitching. But their most significant contributions are coming from an unlikely source.

Yes, Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola are both having excellent seasons. Yes, Cristopher Sánchez has continued his rapid ascent while earning a contract extension. But it's Ranger Suárez who has been the true star of the show.

On Monday, Suárez garnered his latest national recognition for the outstanding season he's put together. He was named half-season pitcher of the year for all of baseball by ESPN's AXE evaluation metrics .

AXE takes into account wins above replacement, win probability added and championship probability added while accounting for a team's placement in the standings, all of which overwhelmingly favor Suárez. He's the fourth-best pitcher in MLB by bWAR, and leads all qualified starters in ERA, while the Phillies have the best record in baseball.

Of course, it's only been half a season, but what Suárez has done is already far above any expectations for the seventh-year left-hander. He leads MLB in wins (10), ERA (1.75), and ERA+ (230), while bumping his strikeout rate to a career-high and shrinking his walk rate to a career-low.

In the same ESPN awards update, fellow Phillies rotation mate Zack Wheeler ranked sixth in NL Cy Young contention. On the position player side, Bryce Harper was fifth in line for NL MVP, while Alec Bohm was eighth.

The Phillies' outstanding bullpen also garnered recognition from ESPN, with standout relievers Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm coming in seventh and eighth respectively in the "best relievers" category.

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