Not every shock in baseball comes from injury or scandal. Some shocks come very subtly—from a decision, a statement, or even… a rejection.
Tomoyuki Sugano just created one such shock.
After his first season in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles, the veteran Japanese pitcher officially became a free agent. The question isn’t whether the Orioles will keep him, but Sugano’s next move: he has no intention of returning to Japan.
At 35, Sugano could have returned to Nippon Professional Baseball to a welcoming embrace from the entire baseball community. He was a two-time Central League MVP, a two-time Sawamura Award winner—Japan’s version of Cy Young—an eight-time All-Star, and even a Triple Crown winner. In 2024, his pitching ERA was just 1.67 in Japan, a figure that would have been enough to get any NPB team rolling out the red carpet.
But Sugano shook his head.
“I didn’t even think about that,” he said on the Hodo Station program, according to Yahoo Japan. “It’s only been a year in MLB, but I feel like I’ve found my rhythm. This year is the real test.”
It was a calm—but challenging—statement.
Numerically, Sugano’s first MLB season wasn’t “bad,” but it wasn’t enough to make teams scramble for him either. His ERA of 4.64 in modern MLB is acceptable for a late-rotation starter, not a name that would put pressure on the team. He’s no longer the “ace” he was in Japan. His fastball average is only 92.8 mph, nothing to draw radar gun attention.
Yet, Sugano still has some very… MLB qualities.
His walk rate of 5.3%—in the top 8% of the league—shows that his ball control has remained virtually unchanged with age. In an era where pitchers often trade control for speed, Sugano goes against the grain. He throws few free throws, forcing hitters to defeat themselves.
And then there’s the splitter—his quietest weapon. Hitters only reach .218 against this pitch. No fuss, no highlights, but enough to make many swings go off-key.
According to Yahoo Japan, Sugano confirmed he has contacted several MLB teams and is currently awaiting offers. No big announcements. No “promised signing” news. Just a veteran pitcher, waiting for the market to speak—or remaining silent.
And that silence is what’s noteworthy.
Are MLB teams evaluating Sugano as a “safe short-term project,” or are they hesitating before a pitcher with no further development potential? Does his 4.64 ERA obscure the subtle details that smart teams usually seek?
Sugano believes the first year is just a getting-acquainted phase. But does MLB have the patience to wait for another “real test”—or is that door slowly closing, while he himself still believes it remains open?
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