Tomoyuki Sugano Transitioning Well in the MLB

Tomoyuki Sugano has been working hard to make a name for himself in the United States. Transferring from Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan to the MLB can be a massive hurdle. Still, he has taken the transition in stride and delivered for the Baltimore Orioles. Now, it’s a matter of seeing if he can stay strong over the span of the season and continue to be the workhorse he has been known to be.

Sugano Transitioning Well

Sugano has pitched six games so far in his career, going 3-1 with a flat 3.00 ERA and 1.15 WHIP. His first start, against the Toronto Blue Jays, was his first real taste of the Majors, going only four innings, giving up four hits and 2 runs. It was a trial run, but he has picked up the pace and success since then in his other five starts.

His second start, facing the Kansas City Royals, saw some better numbers. He lasted 5.1 innings and scattered five hits for just one run, with four strikeouts. When he faced the Blue Jays again a week later, he hit a rough patch, only lasting 4.2, giving up three runs on eight hits, but quickly turned it around for his next two starts.

On April 17th, he stymied the Cleveland Guardians over seven strong innings, only giving up five hits and two runs. He backed that up against the Washington Nationals on April 23rd, again going seven innings and giving up five hits, but three runs this time. In those two games, he gave up two home runs in each. Last night, he had his best start thus far against the powerhouse New York Yankees, giving up zero runs on five hits in five innings, and striking out a career-high eight batters.

When the Orioles signed Sugano out of Japan, it was a questionable pickup. Sure, he had proven himself for 12 years in the NPB, but he is 35 years old, and you never know how the transition from Japan to the US will be, especially with the vastly superior talent over here. That being said, his career statistics are solid, and the Orioles were hoping to get some of that as a replacement for Corbin Burnes, who signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason for six years and $210 million.

In those 12 years in the NPB, he played for the Yomiuri Giants, the equivalent of our New York Yankees. In over 275 career games, 99 started, he shut down most of the lineups he faced, going 136-75, posting a solid 2.43 ERA. Of those 99 games he started, he completed 42 of them and pitched 22 shutouts. He also earned Central League MVP honors in 2014, 2020, and 2024 and the Eiji Sawamura Award (NPB Cy Young) back to back in 2018 and 2019. 

The Orioles Outlook

The Orioles have been struggling a little bit in the 2025 season. They are currently in last place in the American League East with an 11-17 record. They are two games behind the Blue Jays in 4th and 5.5 behind the first-place Yankees.