Tomoyuki Sugano, 35, a right-hander of the Yomiuri Giants, is displaying stellar performance as if he is enjoying his prime again this season. He gave up one run in seven innings and secured a win over the Hanshin Tigers on Sunday. He started 20 games and won 13 games (two losses), ranking first overall in overall winning percentage (866.7 percent). He ranks fourth in this category with an ERA of 1.66. Hiroto Takahashi, 22, a “young gun” of the Chunichi Dragons, ranks first in this category with 1.14. Takahashi, who remained in the 0-point range, allowed three runs in seven innings at the match against the Hanshin Tigers on Sunday.
Sugano won the match against Hanshin Tigers at Koshien Stadium on Sunday, securing his ninth consecutive away win. He surpassed the eight-game winning streak of “legend” Koji Uehara, setting a new record for the longest consecutive away win. The game failed to complete the regular inning due to heavy rain. Yomiuri Giants won a game of cold weather in the seventh inning. Sugano posted a fastball speed of up to 152 kilometers per hour on the day. The ace pitcher who returned to the team, which is competing with the Hiroshima Carp, has given strength to the team.
It was also meaningful for Sugano as an individual player. He ended his losing streak against Hanshin Tigers from the Koshien game on April 15, 2022. As the original ace, he must have felt burdened by losing consecutive games against Hanshin Tigers.
He started quality games (more than six innings as a starter, three earned runs or less) in all six games. He finished five of them with high quality starts (more than seven innings as a starter, two earned runs or less). He also pitched nine shutout innings with no outs.
It has 134 wins (73 losses) in 172 matches. It ranks 11th with the most wins in the history of the Yomiuri Giants,
He won only four games (8 losses, 3.36 ERA) last year, and is likely to win the fourth most wins in his career. If he wins his fourth title, he will be the sixth in history. Sugano won the league MVP twice and the Sawamura Award twice.
When he was in his prime, he garnered the highest annual salary of 800 million yen in Japanese pro baseball. He was recognized as the best pitcher. However, he has a dream that Sugano failed to achieve. He is seeking to advance to the Major League.
Sugano, like other pitchers who rose to the top in Japan, was eager for a bigger stage. He attempted to advance to the Major League in 2020 and 2021. At the end of the 2020 season, the Yomiuri Giants allowed him to apply for the posting system. Sugano moved to the U.S. that winter and negotiated with six teams, the Toronto Blue Jays, the San Diego Padres, and the San Francisco Giants.
The team that offered the conditions he hoped for did not come out. After much consideration, he put his trip to the U.S. on hold and chose to stay in Yomiuri. He signed a one-year contract for 800 million yen, up 150 million yen from the previous one.
He signed a one-year contract with the Major League in mind to try again, but decided to stay again after the end of the 2021 season. He announced late that he would not exercise his right to free agency overseas at the end of the year. He signed a contract for 600 million yen, which was cut by 200 million yen. He did not go to the U.S. again next season. His performance was not consistent with his performance to be treated well.
However, Sugano has never said he has given up on his major league challenge.
Recently, Japanese media reported that Sugano is likely to challenge for the Major League after the end of this season. Having achieved almost everything in Japan, the only thing left for him is the Major League.
Sugano, who was born in 1989, became a Yomiuri player after the first round of nomination of rookie players in 2013. He will turn 36 next year. He is quite old to challenge himself to a high-quality and unfamiliar league. Even if he recovers, his age can be a burden to him.
Some seniors, however, moved to the Major League at an older age. Masumi Kawata, who served as the ace pitcher for the Yomiuri Giants, made his Major League debut in 2007 at the age of 39. After 20 years as a Yomiuri Giants player, he transferred to the Pittsburgh Pirates. He went to the U.S. to pursue his dream, not annual salary, to ignite the final spark. 스포츠토토
Uehara bowed out on a plane to the U.S. in 2009 when he turned 34. He signed a two-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles for 10 million dollars. Uehara bowed out after returning to the Yomiuri Giants after replacing his position with relief after nine years.
If Sugano puts weight on the challenge, going to the Major League doesn’t seem to be a problem. Japanese media say Sugano is competitive as a fifth starter in the Major League. Maybe next year will be the last chance.