Baseball

Tomoyuki Sugano Begins Preparations for the 2025 MLB Season

Veteran pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano, who won 136 games for the Yomiuri Giants from 2013-24, pushed back his first bullpen session due to jet lag.

by
Ed Odeven
February 18, 2025

Baltimore Orioles newcomer Tomoyuki Sugano is getting ready for his first season in a Major League Baseball uniform.

The veteran pitcher arrived at the team's spring training complex in Sarasota, Florida, on Saturday, February 15. His arrival was two days behind schedule due to visa issues, according to media reports.

Sugano, who signed a one-year contract in December 2024, wants to help lead the Orioles to a World Series title in 2025. The team finished second in the American League East last year with a 91-71 record, three games behind the pennant-winning New York Yankees.

"When I first met with the Baltimore Orioles before I signed, they had strongly expressed their desire to win the world championship," Sugano, 35, said shortly after his arrival in Sarasota, MLB.com reported. "So that has been my goal throughout."

Sugano's first bullpen session of spring training was pushed back from Monday, February 17 to the next day.

A 136-game winner for the Yomiuri Giants (2013-24), Sugano addressed the reason for the postponement: jet lag.

"If I was at 50 percent yesterday, I'm now up to about 70 percent," Sugano was quoted as saying by Kyodo News.

Dedicated to the Team

That said, Sugano is fully committed to working hard this spring.

"I want to work out with the team as much as possible and try to become a real member of the team as soon as possible," he said, according to NHK on Sunday.

Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said he supported Sugano's decision to delay his bullpen work in the early days of spring training.

"Any player, we want our guys to communicate with how they are feeling all the time, and we'll definitely work with all these guys in putting themselves in the best position," Hyde told reporters on Monday before a morning workout. "And if someone doesn't feel ready, then we are going to fall through with that."

Early Work at Orioles Camp

On Monday, Sugano spent some time tossing curveballs to a catcher at camp, getting ready for Tuesday (the team's first full squad workout of the spring).

"I had a good feel for it," Sugano said of his breaking ball, according to Kyodo News, "[and] I had a good day in preparation for the bullpen tomorrow."

During the offseason, Sugano went to Hawaii, where he stayed in shape and made preparations for spring training.

The Orioles are set to play their first spring training game on February 22 against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates at Ed Smith Stadium.

What Others are Saying About Tomoyuki Sugano

Orioles skipper Hyde believes Sugano brings a winning attitude to his new team.

"He's all about winning," Hyde said, according to The Baltimore Banner website on February 15. "That was clear in our two Zooms that we had with him this offseason, that he's coming over here to win. It's a great mentality, and I love the mindset that he has."

Jacob Calvin Meyer, a baseball reporter for The Baltimore Sun, wrote an article published on Monday titled "7 Orioles players with the most to prove during spring training." Meyer included Sugano in his reportorial analysis.

Here's a portion of what Meyer wrote about the Japanese pitcher: "A pitcher of Sugano's pedigree shouldn't have to enter February with anything to prove. … Sugano profiles as one of the best strike-throwers in baseball, and he brings with him a long list of accolades in Nippon Professional Baseball. But a slow spring — or worse — could raise questions about how long it'll take for the 35-year-old to transition to the style of play in MLB."

The Last Word

"I always wanted to play in the big leagues, [and] I had a really good season last year. So I thought it was a good time to come over this year," said Sugano, who was 15-3 with the Giants in 2024, of his MLB aspirations, The Baltimore Banner reported.

Author: Ed Odeven

Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.