{"id":760101,"date":"2026-04-29T00:06:22","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T00:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/760101\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T00:06:22","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T00:06:22","slug":"a-superstar-in-japan-rockies-pitcher-tomoyuki-sugano-proving-he-can-excel-in-mlb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/760101\/","title":{"rendered":"A superstar in Japan, Rockies pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano proving he can excel in MLB"},"content":{"rendered":"

CINCINNATI \u2014 If Tomoyuki Sugano wanted to go shopping in Japan, a disguise was necessary.<\/p>\n

It speaks volumes of the popularity and fame of the Rockies pitcher that he was forced to resort to sunglasses, a hat and mask covering his face if he wanted to be anywhere in public in his home country.<\/p>\n

There are levels to baseball stardom in Japan. While Shohei Ohtani stands at the top of the ladder, it\u2019s easy to argue Sugano isn\u2019t far below.<\/p>\n

\"\"Caroline Kennedy, U.S. ambassador to Japan, smiles on the mound with Yomiuri Giants starter Tomoyuki Sugano and the team mascot Giabbit before her ceremonial first pitch prior to the Japan\u2019s Central League professional baseball opening game between the Giants and the Hanshin Tigers at Tokyo Dome, March 28, 2014. (AP Photo\/Eugene Hoshiko)<\/p>\n

Sugano, who is scheduled to take the mound for the Rockies against the Reds at Great American Ballpark on Wednesday, declines to talk much about himself. He says \u201cthe past is the past\u201d when asked about the accolades and fame he accumulated while pitching for the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball. <\/p>\n

However, the record books speak for him.<\/p>\n

For more than a decade, Sugano was the steady force at the front of the Giants\u2019 rotation and was a pitcher defined as much by consistency as dominance. He reached double-digit wins nine times in 12 seasons, setting the tone with a 13-6 rookie campaign that hinted at what was to come.<\/p>\n

What followed was one of the most reliable runs an NPB starter has put together. Sugano finished his NPB career with a 136-74 record and 2.43 ERA, logging 1,857 innings and striking out 1,585 batters. It was his command that separated him. Sugano rarely beat himself, issuing only 347 walks across his tenure (1.26 walks per game), a testament to his precision and poise on the mound.<\/p>\n

At his peak, he wasn\u2019t only consistent. He was dominant. Sugano led the Central League in wins four times and paced the league in strikeouts twice. He also captured four ERA titles, including a remarkable 1.59 mark in 2017, further cementing his status as one of the league\u2019s premier arms.<\/p>\n

\"\"Japan\u2019s pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano pitches to a Australia batter during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic game between Japan and Australia on March 8 in Tokyo. (AP Photo\/Eugene Hoshiko)<\/p>\n

That stretch of excellence did not go unnoticed. Sugano earned NPB\u2019s highest honor for a pitcher, the Eiji Sawamura Award, in back-to-back seasons in 2017 and 2018.<\/p>\n

For the Giants, Sugano wasn\u2019t just an ace. He was a constant \u2014 a pitcher who, year after year, delivered what was expected and often more.<\/p>\n

As good as Sugano was in Japan, he wanted to show he could also pitch against the best batters in the game. That would see him leaving NPB for Major League Baseball before the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I look back at my career, I didn\u2019t want any regrets. I also always wanted to play in the big leagues,\u201d Sugano said through his interpreter, Yuto Sakurai.<\/p>\n

That desire led him to Baltimore where he signed a one-year deal with the Orioles for last season. A 10-10 record and 4.64 ERA may not have been Sugano-style numbers, but it was also his first taste of what MLB truly was and what it would take to succeed.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything in regards from adjustments to PitchCom and the pitch clock to the different environments I pitched in,\u201d Sugano said Tuesday when asked about his biggest lessons learned last season. \u201cI just try to take everything in and not overthink it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Baltimore Orioles\u2019 Tomoyuki Sugano pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo\/Frank Franklin II)<\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly what he has done this season, tackling the challenge that is pitching at elevation in Denver. Pitchers often shy away from signing on with the Rockies because of Coors Field, but Sugano has embraced the challenge and the leadership role that has come with being a 36-year-old pitcher with extensive experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t thinking too much about the environment,\u201d Sugano said after his first Coors Field start April 6. \u201cI was trying to keep the ball down and trying to get groundouts and punch-outs.\u201d<\/p>\n

That simple philosophy has worked so far for Sugano, who will make his sixth start of the season Wednesday.<\/p>\n

Last season in Baltimore, per Baseball Savant, Sugano\u2019s pitches were hit in the air 59.2% of the time, part of the reason why he surrendered an MLB-high 33 home runs. This year in Colorado, that fly ball number has been reduced to 54.8%.<\/p>\n

\"\"Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano throws against a San Diego Padres batter in the first inning of a baseball game, Friday, April 10, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo\/Tony Ding)<\/p>\n

While opponents have hit five home runs in five games this season, Sugano\u2019s ERA stands at 3.42 (down from 4.64 last season) and his hits allowed per nine innings has dropped from 9.9 to 8.2.<\/p>\n

\u201cSugano has been fantastic,\u201d Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said Tuesday. \u201cWatching him be a professional and the way he goes about his business, it\u2019s been impressive. What he does during the start, how he commands the baseball, how he throws all of his pitches for strikes and how he competes, it\u2019s all really good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Signed with Colorado through the end of this year, Sugano is nowhere close to completing his MLB journey. He hopes to pitch \u201ca minimum\u201d of three more seasons.<\/p>\n

The numbers will ultimately tell part of Sugano\u2019s story. But for him, this chapter isn\u2019t just about ERA or wins. It\u2019s about adaptation, resilience and proving that even after more than a decade of dominance, there\u2019s still another level to reach. He\u2019s still climbing, no disguise required.<\/p>\n


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