After his Yomiuri Giants misplaced to the Yokohama DeNA BayStars within the ultimate stage of the 2024 Central League Climax Sequence final week, soon-to-be free agent Tomoyuki Sugano divulged his intention to go to MLB groups in North America later this yr.
Earlier this month, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the veteran right-hander was planning to signal with an MLB staff this offseason. Immediately, Sugano met with staff representatives, together with supervisor Shinnosuke Abe, at Yomiuri Giants Stadium in Kawasaki. Afterward, Abe informed Yahoo! Japan (Japanese language hyperlink) that Sugano can be visiting america in December. Abe has been with the Giants as a participant, a coach, and now the supervisor all through Sugano’s total 12-year tenure with the membership.
Sugano has loved a protracted and embellished profession in Japan. He’s an eight-time All-Star, two-time Central League MVP, and two-time winner of the Eiji Sawamura Award for one of the best beginning pitcher in NPB. From 2021-23, his age-31 to 33 seasons, the righty regarded like he was beginning to decelerate. Nevertheless, he is coming off a resurgent marketing campaign during which he reasserted himself as probably the greatest pitchers, if not one of the best pitcher, within the Central League. Sugano completed fifth within the league with 156 2/3 innings, and his 1.67 ERA ranked second amongst beginning pitchers. In the meantime, his 0.92 BB/9 ranked first amongst all pitchers within the league (min. 47 IP), as did his 6.94 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His strikeout charge was not almost as spectacular because it was at his peak from ages 26 to 30, however he took a special path to success in his age-34 season. He made probably the most of his glorious command and his deep arsenal of pitches to maintain runners off the bases and runs off the board.
The 2024 season ended on a bitter observe for Sugano following a few disheartening outings towards the BayStars within the Climax Sequence. He pitched seven innings of two-run ball in Recreation 2 however finally shouldered the loss in a 2-1 defeat. 4 days later, he got here on in reduction and gave up the successful run within the ninth inning of Recreation 6, dropping the sport and the collection. But, none of that takes away from what he achieved through the common season. There may be little doubt that loads of MLB groups can have curiosity in signing Sugano this winter. Not solely is he an achieved veteran with big-game expertise, however he has been notably sturdy all through his profession. Relationship again to his rookie season in 2013, he has thrown 1857 innings in NPB, a median of 6.73 per outing. Solely 4 energetic MLB pitchers have thrown extra innings in that point: Max Scherzer, Gerrit Cole, Kyle Gibson, and Justin Verlander. Given his age, Sugano almost definitely gained’t be looking for a long-term deal, which might additionally assist to extend the dimensions of his market.
The final time Sugano thought of coming stateside was through the 2020-21 offseason, during which he drew curiosity from groups together with the Giants, Mets, Purple Sox, Padres, Blue Jays, and Rangers. Nevertheless, he finally selected to stay in Japan. This time round, he appears extra resolved to signal with an MLB membership, however it’s not but clear which groups the VC Sports activities Group consumer is hoping to fulfill with or which groups is perhaps serious about his companies. Presumably, such rumors will start to trickle out nearer to December as his journey abroad approaches.
