Sep 9, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Su‡rez (55) in the dugout after pitching the sixth inning against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Eric Hartline
LOS ANGELES — Scott Boras was excited to talk about Ranger Suárez Thursday at Dodger Stadium after yet another-standout playoff performance from his client, who now has a 1.48 ERA across 42 2/3 career postseason innings.
Suárez came in for the Phillies after two scoreless Aaron Nola innings as an opener in Game 3 of the NLDS against the Dodgers. He did give up a home run to Tommy Edman on his first pitch. But ultimately, he limited Los Angeles to five hits and that one run over five innings in the 8-2 win, the only victory the Phillies posted during their season-ending NLDS series against the defending World Series Champions.
Boras hyped up his client, who hired him last December.
"Well, if you sit here and you watch the Dodgers, Freddie [Freeman] is a great hitter. [Shohei] Ohtani is extraordinarily talented. ... I mean, these guys are postseason official. The top three guys in this lineup are what this team is about.
"When you see the Cooler come in, you see that slider where Freddie ... when I played, if you can't pick up a guy's depth, it's like someone closed your eyes. You don't see Freddie do that. And then he throws a fastball and gets him."
In case you're wondering, "the Cooler" is Boras' nickname for Suárez. He explained the qualities that Suárez has that earned him that alter ego.
"I've represented a lot of great starters," Boras said. "There are few men that you can say their routine is not their routine. Whenever you tell Ranger you want him, he just says 'OK, I'll go do it.' He's fine with his preparation with whatever part of the game it is. That is a value that is immeasurable value when you can do things like you did last night."
Boras then compared some of the qualities Suárez to another client he represented, one who now has a plaque in Cooperstown.
"Greg Maddux was like that," Boras said. "He had a very calm demeanor ... very kind, social. But when you played board games with him, he always beat you.
"I went to college 12 years and got a law degree, and this guy [Maddux] would beat me at Jeopardy," Boras said with a laugh. "I go, 'What do you read, the National Geographic?'
Ranger Suárez is chatting with his agent, Scott Boras. It was a very good night for them last night as he nears free agency. pic.twitter.com/nl85jGGkEb
Suárez missed the first month of the season with low back stiffness, his third time in the last four years that he's missed time with a back ailment. The 30-year-old's average fastball velocity also dipped from 93.4 mph in 2023 to 91.3 in 2025. Durability concerns — plus the fact that he's sure to decline a qualifying offer, which means any other team that signs him will need to give up draft-pick compensation — will work against him as a free agent.
But he's shined as both a starter and a reliever over parts of eight seasons with the Phillies. Across a career-high 157 1/3 innings pitched this regular season, Suárez posted a 3.20 ERA. Not only did he shine as a bulk reliever in Game 3 of the 2025 NLDS, but he recorded the final out in Game 5 of the 2022 NLCS, helping the Phillies to clinch the NL pennant.
There aren't, in Boras' estimation, a lot of pitchers capable and willing of being either All-Star caliber starters or serving as impact relievers.
"When guys have that, what it is is that their innateness, their inner soul is they know themselves so well that the external part of the world does not impact them," Boras said.
"Because they know what they have to do, they know what they can do, and they know how to repeat themselves. If you know how to repeat yourself, greatness has arrived because you're not only good one day, you're good throughout. And you're not only good in a situation, but you're good in the greatest moments. And that's an example of that."
So that's where the nickname comes from?
"Oh, he's the cooler," Boras said.
Every December during the MLB Winter Meetings, Boras comes up with great puns as he touts the cases for his clients in free agency. He may never top "Harper's Bazaar" during the 2018-19 offseason, but between the first name Ranger and the nickname "the Cooler," Boras has to have something great cooked up for Suárez, right?
"Well, I have to save that for you guys," Boras joked.
