The newest Boston Red Sox lefty revealed the correct pronunciation, and why he never made a fuss before.
Ranger Suarez has already given Boston something it didn’t expect, and it had nothing to do with pitch shapes, contract terms, or how the left-hander plans to attack the AL East.
It was a pronunciation guide.
At his introductory press conference Wednesday at Fenway Park, Suarez - officially unveiled in a Red Sox jersey and fresh off signing a reported five-year, $130 million deal - casually dropped a detail that managed to be both jarring and completely on brand:
His first name isn’t really pronounced Ranger.
It’s “Rahn-her.”
Not park ranger. Not Texas Ranger. Not the version that Phillies fans chanted for eight seasons while watching him mow down lineups and cement himself as one of the most beloved pitchers in franchise history. The Venezuelan pronunciation is softer, subtler, and far less suited for sports talk radio callers - but it’s the correct one.
And, in classic Suarez fashion, he made it clear it doesn’t really matter.
Through interpreter Daveson Perez, Suarez explained that while “Rahn-her” is how his name is said back home, he’s perfectly comfortable with the English pronunciation that’s followed him his entire big league career.
“Ranger is what most people do,” he said. “So I’m comfortable with either.”
That easygoing response tracks with everything people have come to know about Suarez. This is a pitcher who never demanded the spotlight, who let results speak louder than personality, and who somehow became a cult hero in Philadelphia without ever needing to lean into theatrics. The name, as it turns out, was just another thing he quietly allowed to take on a life of its own.
If anything, the Americanized “Ranger” probably helped.
It’s clean. It’s catchy. It fits on a jersey and slides easily into highlight calls. Suarez even leaned into it himself, famously using Kid Cudi’s “Mr. Rager” as his warm-up song - a subtle acknowledgment that, yeah, he knew exactly what everyone was calling him and wasn’t bothered enough to correct it.
Jul 28, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) looks on before a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. (Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images)That’s what made Wednesday’s reveal so funny and so revealing at the same time.
This wasn’t a rebrand announcement. It wasn’t a correction tour. It was just a guy, in a new city, finally mentioning something that had been technically wrong for nearly a decade.
Philadelphia fans shouldn’t feel guilty. Suarez never pushed back, never bristled, never once tried to steer the conversation elsewhere. He was “Ranger” because that’s what people called him, and because he was busy doing things that mattered far more - like carving up lineups, pitching in big games, and becoming an All-Star without ever chasing the attention that usually comes with it.
Now he’s in Boston, a city famously known for its linguistic precision and gentle treatment of names. Surely this will go smoothly.
…lol.
In all seriousness, the moment felt like a perfect introduction to who Suarez is as a person and as a player.
He’s adaptable. He’s unfazed by noise. He understands that some things - like pronunciation quirks - just aren’t worth fighting when the bigger picture is right in front of you.
For the Red Sox, that bigger picture is a proven left-hander entering the second chapter of his career with the same calm confidence that defined the first. Whether fans chant “Ranger” or “Rahn-her,” the expectation is the same:
Take the ball every fifth day, compete, and bring a level of steadiness this rotation has been chasing.
Names matter. Getting them right matters too. But if Suarez has taught anyone anything this week, it’s that substance always comes first.
Call him what you want.
Just don’t be surprised if he keeps being exactly who he’s always been, no matter how it’s pronounced.
May 22, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (55) reacts in the dugout in the seventh inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.