Orioles’ Sign Star Japanese Pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano to Strengthen Staff

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Right-handed pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano is the newest member of the Baltimore Orioles. Sugano, 35, signed a 1 year, 13 deal with the club after a brilliant career in Japan. Sugano has a long list of accolades from his time in Nippon Professional Baseball. He has won 3 Central League MVPs (2017, 2020, 2024), 2 Sawamura awards (Japan’s answer to the Cy Young), and was selected to 8 all-star teams during his time with the Yomiuri Giants. Sugano had struggled in recent years with his command, even spending time in the minor leagues in 2023 to find his groove again. He came back with a vengeance in 2024, going 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 156 innings, earning his 3rd MVP. The Giants, who have the most Japan Series wins with 22, won the Central League’s regular season pennant but lost in the playoffs. He also competed in the 2017 World Baseball Classic for team Japan, striking out a few MLB All-Stars along the way. 

Sugano’s Stuff

Sugano relies on his pinpoint control in order to paint all the corners of the strike zone. Batters will have to decipher his 6-pitch arsenal (fastball, slider, cutter, splitter, curveball, sinker). He is not a big strikeout guy, typically he gets outs due to forcing weak contact and relying on his defense. The veteran knows how to pound the zone, giving up just 16 walks last season. 

The fastball velo is below average, about 91-92 mph with good movement. It has the highest usage rate at just 26%, showcasing Sugano’s ability to mix and match his pitches depending on the batter. His splitter is probably the best swing and miss pitch, starting in the middle of the plate before falling dramatically below the zone. Right handed batters whiffed on an insane 47.1% rate against Sugano’s splitter. Lefties were better at making contact on that pitch, but the results were not much better with a 68.8% ground ball rate. Here’s a preview of that nasty splitter below

The cutter was Sugano’s big weapon against leftis, he was able to spin the ball in on the batters hands to induce weak contact. The slider breaks more sharply, working in tandem with the cutter to mystify batters. The sinker is used mostly on the outside against righties, while curveball dives inside versus lefties. Below you can look at some of his advanced stats during last season. The most interesting part is where he locates all his pitches. For example, he tends to stay inside with the fastball to righties, but is not afraid to hit any part of the plate vs lefties.

Role

Sugano will be in the mix for a spot in the starting rotation, but a logjam of arms means that no one is quite sure what the final roster will look like on Opening Day. Grayson Rodriguez and Zach Eflin are very good, but not quite top of the rotation arms.  Dean Kremer will be the 3rd or 4th starter, despite inconsistencies his whole career in Birdland. Two lefties in Trevor Rogers and Cade Povich will battle for 1 spot, and the other will likely be sent down to the minors until needed. Albert Suarez was the unsung hero of last years’ Oriole staff posting a 3.70 ERA as a utility man. Suarez came from the Korean league, and was able to translate his success to MLB hitters. Then there’s Kyle Bradish, who finished 4th in Cy Young 2 seasons ago, but underwent Tommy John surgery last summer. The Orioles would be lucky to see any starts from KB in 2025. More pitching injuries will pile up at some point, so Baltimore is going for a surplus of starters.

Sugano will probably slot in behind Kremer as the 4th starter, and will have to adjust to pitching every 5th day compared to more relaxed schedules in Japan. This could be a worry, but other Japanese pitchers who have recently come to MLB like Shota Imanaga and Yoshinobu Yamamoto have adapted. The big test for Sugano will be to keep his fastball high in the zone, which will stop hitters from teeing off on it. The Orioles pitching lab will put in the work to help him figure out a great plan of attack. Guys like Bradish, Kremer, and Suarez have added a few mph and movement to their fastballs in the past. He has a similar profile to Eflin. Both guys pound the zone effectively despite low velocity, and are able generate ground balls while avoiding walks like the plague. It is tough to see Sugano as more than a number 3 or 4 starter due to low velocity and inexperience at this level. However, he is coming off one of his best years. Sugano fits the Orioles model of what they want out of a pitcher, now he needs to translate his success across the Pacific.

What’s Left To Do in the Offseason?

This is an interesting, low-risk signing at a position of need. Sugano is ready to test himself on the biggest stage after an impressive career in Japan. Baltimore’s track record with pitchers will give him a good foundation for success. That said, it’s unlikely that this move makes a big enough difference to the Orioles’ record by the end of the season. A low strikeout pitcher like Sugano can be hard to project when switching leagues. He could get found out quickly if he can’t locate his fastball well enough to get by hitters without high velocity. Or, he play the crafty veteran (think Eddie Harris from Major League) and become a key part of the rotation. At $13 million for 1 year, it is a good, low-cost option for Mike Elias and the O’s. Orioles fans have grown weary of the low cost option after years of some of the lowest payrolls league wide. New ownership led by David Rubenstein has brought more money for Elias’ war chest. So far they have spent $70 million on free agent contracts, but fans are still waiting for the cream of the crop to arrive in Baltimore.

The only top arms left on the market are Corbin Burnes, Sean Manaea, and Walker Buehler. Burnes is the true ace, but reports make it sound unlikely that he is coming back to Birdland. Manaea could be an excellent playoff rotation arm, and so could Buehler if he stays healthy. Roki Sasaki, the Japanese phenom, has been posted for MLB teams. The Orioles could offer more money than most, and now he would have a fellow Japanese teammate. Sasaki will almost certainly head to a west coast team, most insiders don’t expect Baltimore to be competitive in the sweepstakes. There are interesting candidates like Luis Castillo and Dylan Cease, but the O’s may not want to part with some of their top prospects or MLB hitters in order to get the deal done. The Orioles did well to add Tomoyuki Sugano to its’ staff, but they are not done The Orioles need to add one of these names, time is ticking and the pool is shrinking. The current rotation is solid, but they need a true number 1 starter if they want to win a championship.

Current Rotation

1. Zach Eflin

2. Grayson Rodriguez

3. Dean Kremer

4. Tomoyuki Sugano

5. Cade Povich

Others on Roster

1. Trevor Rogers

2. Albert Suarez

3. Chayce McDermott

4. Brandon Young

5. Kyle Bradish (injured- TJ)

6. Tyler Wells (injured- TJ)

Free Agents

1. Corbin Burnes

2. Sean Manaea

3. Roki Sasaki

4. Walker Buehler

5. Nick Pivetta

Trade Options

1. Dylan Cease

2. Luis Castillo

3. Jesus Luzardo