“If it feels like we absolutely have to have him go (multiple innings), he turns into prime Randy Johnson,” Reds closer Emilio Pagán said.
Suter’s efforts have certainly been recognized.
“Remember the game in Baltimore where we were kind of up against it?” Francona said. “He has been good all year. He does it with enthusiasm. He takes the mound and it feels like everybody has a little extra pep in their step.”
In that game in Baltimore, the Reds didn’t have a starter and Suter pitched three shutout innings. Suter has now done that twice this season.
In his two years in a Reds uniform, Suter has a 2.76 ERA.
“It’s about the process,” Suter said. “Attacking. Executing a lot of good pitches, especially early (in counts).”
He has a unique style as a soft-tossing left-hander. Last week against the Cleveland Guardians, he threw a 67.3 mph pitch, which was one of the ten slowest pitches of the MLB season by a non-position player.
“I felt that one off the fingers and was like, ‘Oh my gosh that’s slow,’” Suter said. “I’m trying to throw him off a bit. I wasn’t trying to slow my arm speed. I was saying, ‘Throw this really tense.’ For some reason on changeups, the more I tense up, the more speed I can take off. I tensed up on that one.”
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
The changeup helped set up another out for Suter, who’s versatility has made a significant impact for a Reds’ bullpen that has had to cover a ton of ground recently.
“We’ve all seen crazy stretches,” Suter said. “In baseball, there are so many ups and downs in the season when you play so many games. The key is to stabilize and not get too overtly emotional good or bad. You’ve got to stay the course, keep your head down and make adjustments when necessary. That’s infectious to the group.”
Suter, a Moeller High School graduate, takes a lot of pride in having this type of success for his hometown team.
“I’ve been blessed,” Suter said. “I love what I do. It comes from genuinely being excited to be playing a game that I love for a living. That’s been my dream since I was 4 years old. That’s a big part of it.”
Suter, a 10-year big league veteran, is also one of the leaders in the Reds’ clubhouse. He’s known for his bright personality, his interest in everyone on the team and in the clubhouse and for some fun comedic impressions of celebrities like Jim Carrey.
Suter’s uptempo and efficient approach on the mound as well as his ability to make an impact in the clubhouse have made him a valuable player for the last ten years in the big leagues.
“He’s the happiest human on the planet,” Pagán said. “He’s always in a good mood. He has a very infectious attitude. He comes in in a good mood, and is always optimistic. In the game that we play, that’s very important. We’ll fail a lot. If you can come in every day with the same approach, having that positive attitude can be a huge influence.”
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