Orioles sign pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano to one-year deal

Tomoyuki Sugano (right) talks with former player Yoshinobu Takahashi at a 90th anniversary ceremony for the Giants held as part of a fan appreciation event at Tokyo Dome in Tokyo on Nov. 30. | JIJI

Wires
Dec 17, 2024

LOS ANGELES – Baltimore Orioles and Japanese pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano have agreed terms for a one-year contract, the Major League Baseball team said Monday, with U.S. media reporting the deal was worth $13 million.

Sugano, a star pitcher with the Yomiuri Giants, arrives in MLB after 12 seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball.

The 35-year-old right-hander is a two-time Sawamura Award winner as Japan's top pitcher and a three-time Central League Most Valuable Player.

After an injury-disrupted 2023 campaign, Sugano bounced back in 2024, going 15-3 with a 1.67 earned run average and 11 strikeouts to earn MVP honors.

Sugano boasts a formidable fastball, but almost two-thirds of his pitches in 2024 were off-speed pitches from his varied arsenal that includes a slider, cutter and curveball.

He faced major league hitters when he starred for Japan in the 2017 World Baseball Classic eventually won by the United States. He and current New York Mets starter Kodai Senga tied for the tournament lead in strikeouts.