Padres Pitcher Wins Major Award from MLB

Robert Suarez of the San Diego Padres has been named the National League Reliever of the Month for March/April. The announcement was made Friday on MLB Network.

Suarez claimed his second career Reliever of the Month Award after winning last May. He became one of seven Padre pitchers to earn the honor, joining Trevor Hoffman (May 2005, September 2006, May 2007); Heath Bell (April 2009); Brad Hand (July 2017, May 2018); Kirby Yates (April 2019); Mark Melancon (April 2021); and Josh Hader (April 2023).

Suarez, 34, compiled a 0.64 ERA while converting each of his 12 save opportunities across 14 appearances to begin the season. In 14 innings pitched, the Venezuela native allowed only one run on five hits with three walks and 16 strikeouts while limiting opponents to a .106 batting average.

Suarez's 12 saves rank first in the Majors. His .106 opponents’ batting average is third in the NL and tied for fifth in MLB among all pitchers with at least 14 innings pitched.

According to MLB, Suarez became the fifth Padres pitcher to reach at least 10 saves in March/April, and the first to accomplish the feat twice following his 10 saves to open the 2024 season.

Other San Diego relievers to reach 10 saves before the start of May in a single season include Yates (14 in 2019); Davis (11 in 1989, the year he won the NL Cy Young Award); Hader (10 in 2023); and Huston Street (10 in 2014).

Suarez recorded his 10th save with a perfect ninth inning in the Padres' 2-0 win over the Tigers in Detroit on April 22. His 10th save came in San Diego’s 24th contest of the season, tied for the third-fewest team games to reach 10 saves in a season for a Padres pitcher.

Dating back to last season, Suarez has converted each of his last 15 save opportunities. He began 2025 where he left off in 2024, with six straight hitless appearances — the first pitcher in franchise history to accomplish the feat.

Suarez's stretch of hitless appearances ranks as the third-longest to start the season behind seven hitless appearances from Arizona’s Shelby Miller and an active seven-game stretch from Kansas City’s Steven Cruz.

The Padres signed Suarez to a five-year, $46 million contract in November 2022. He can opt out of the final two years of the contract by declining a player option at the end of this season.

Otherwise, Suarez will be eligible to make $8 million each of the next two years.

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