The Arizona Diamondbacks hope history repeats itself with third baseman Eugenio Suárez.
There has been a trend with Suarez over the past three seasons finding a rhythm after a very slow start at the plate, and his first two months with the D-backs have followed a similar pattern.
Among 151 qualified hitters, Suarez entered Wednesday with the ninth-lowest OPS at .612 and the 11th-lowest slug at .328. A regular 25-30 home run player still has six this season without missing any time due to injury.
The organization is aware that Suárez has overcome difficult starts and has put up respectable final numbers. President and CEO Derrick Hall referenced this last week on Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta.
Manager Torey Lovullo has begun splitting third base reps roughly five starts for Suarez and two for Blaze Alexander in a given week.
“I mentioned that to him and told him I was going to put up with this with him. We are going to wait for that moment to come,” Lovullo said. “But here we talk about bridging the gaps. Instead of 1 for 25, let’s go 2 for 12 with a couple walks and some sacrifice. Anything you can do to save an at-bat or two and get an extra hit by being stubborn when you’re not feeling your best.
“Those are the conversations I have had with him. I think he’s in a pretty good situation right now. …He has had very good results lately and we are going to wait for that .800 OPS to arrive. I know he is there.”
Eugenio Suárez’s past changes
2023
Suárez played all 162 games for the Seattle Mariners, but through his first 62 (through June 9), he was hitting .206/.306/.316. He hit six home runs for a stat line pretty similar to the one he has now.
The veteran began putting it together to close June. By July he was already humming (.821 OPS for the month).
In the last 100 games, Suárez hit .249/.333/.438 with 16 home runs. Far from his best season, but viable, especially when combined with a much-improved defense and his renowned presence in the clubhouse. His strikeouts actually increased from the initial 28.6% to 32%, but he was much more impactful driving the ball for a Mariners team fighting for a postseason berth.
2022
Suárez’s stagnation did not last as long in 2022, and perhaps can be attributed to adapting to a new environment. The Cincinnati Reds had just sent Suarez to Seattle after seven seasons, two very different home stadiums in which to hit.
The third baseman hit .198/.296/.395 with three home runs in his first 23 games (through May 3). That was the last time he was below the .200 batting average mark.
For the rest of the season, Suárez had a solid .243/.339/.471 line with 28 home runs. He was downright dominant over the last two months with an .893 OPS and 15 home runs. Only Aaron Judge in his quest for 62 hit more home runs in that span.
Suarez led the Mariners in big fly balls to end baseball’s longest postseason drought. In the process, he became a fan favorite in Seattle.
2021
Suarez’s final year with the Reds also started cold as Cincinnati did in April. But this time it lasted well into the year.
His batting line in his first 120 games of the season (through August): .169/.255/.363 with 23 home runs.
He didn’t get his batting average above .200, but he made up a lot of ground in September. He had the MLB’s best 1.268 OPS (minimum 50 plate appearances) along with eight home runs since early September.
What does this mean for Eugenio Suárez this season?
This is not to say that you are guaranteed to get out of this at any time. The Diamondbacks have some urgency as they fight to get back above .500 and for the NL wild card spot despite a slew of injuries.
They also have options. Geraldo Perdomo is back at shortstop, which will allow Lovullo to deploy infielders Kevin Newman and Alexander in other roles. Alexander started Arizona’s game Sunday against the White Sox at third. Top prospect Jordan Lawlar was taking reps at third base in the minors before suffering a hamstring injury on Saturday.
Additionally, the D-backs have a roster decision to make when outfielder Alek Thomas returns from the injured list next week, and there is no obvious solution.
Suárez has had better results lately. He is 4-for-9 with five walks and one hit by pitch in his last four games played.
If he can finish this season with similar numbers to last year, the D-backs will have a very good hitter the rest of the way. But the track is not indefinite.
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