English audio above. Japanese audio below.
On December 16th, Tomoyuki Sugano signed with the Orioles, but many question if the 35-year-old is beyond his prime and can still pose a serious threat to major league hitters. However, I will have to disagree vehemently. Though the right time to move to the majors was probably seven years ago, when he could have garnered more interest from a lot more teams and more cash, he still has about three years of peak performance. He is better and more accomplished than Shota Imanaga in their respective careers.
While Imanaga excelled as a two-time all-star and the Central League's strikeout champion in 2023, Sugano was the Central League's MVP in 2024, the Central League's Climax Series MVP in 2013. He was a Triple Crown winner, a two-time Sawamura Award winner, a three-time recipient of the Golden Glove Award, an eight-time all-star, a three-time Central League wins leader, a four-time ERA leader, and a two-time strikeout leader. And, like Imanaga, he has also pitched a no-hitter.
Sugano is undoubtedly a more accomplished pitcher than Imanaga, despite the fact that Imanaga is four years younger than Sugano. Who knows what else Imanaga could have accomplished if he had played until 35 in the NPB?
Tomoyuki Sugano finished the 2024 NPB season in MVP fashion, accumulating a 1.67 ERA over 156 2/3 innings pitched in 24 starts. He doesn't throw particularly hard, but he has excellent command of his pitches, mixing six types throughout a game. He uses the four-seamer at 26%, the sinker at about 9%, the curveball at about 8%, the slider at about 20%, the splitter at about 17%, and finally the cutter at 20% of the time.
He has served more than a decade in the NPB, so he was able to sign as a full free agent, meaning he wasn't subjected to the posting system. The Orioles would not have to pay the Tokyo Giants any cash to sign him.
While critics believe he will fail and is too old to be a rookie, Sugano is poised to prove them all wrong. He doesn't need to be the league's best pitcher or win MVP; all he needs to do is perform at a high level, just as he did throughout his career in Japan. If his countryman, Imanaga, can dominate, he most certainly could hold his own at the major league level.
However, that does not mean he will outperform Imanaga in the majors. It's just that if a less accomplished pitcher can dominate MLB hitters, a more accomplished pitcher in his career could potentially be as effective as well. It is not the speed of his pitches that baffles hitters; it's his amazing control and versatile pitch arsenal that ultimately makes them wonder how in the world they struck out.
hope he does well
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