The Baltimore Orioles wrapped up the 2024 season with a 91-71 record, making it to the postseason but being swiftly eliminated by the Royals in a two-game series. Despite the early exit, the season could be considered a success, with hopes for an even better 2025 campaign bolstered by the addition of a new pitcher—a 35-year-old from Japan.
According to Jeff Passan, the Orioles have signed Tomoyuki Sugano to a one-year, $13 million deal. Sugano delivered an impressive 1.67 ERA with 111 strikeouts across 156.2 innings during the 2024 season in Japan. He recently played for the Yomiuri Giants, where he posted a stellar 15-3 record over 24 games.
It’s worth noting that other MLB teams, such as the Angels and Giants, had also been named as potential suitors for the Japanese pitcher, but in the end, it was the Orioles who secured his services. This will be Sugano’s first time playing in the United States, despite having over ten years of experience in Japan’s domestic league, where he made his debut in 2013.
Although 2024 was a standout year for him with a 1.67 ERA, his overall record after 11 seasons in Japan is impressive: a 2.45 ERA, 136 wins, and 75 losses for a .645 winning percentage in 281 games. His best year came in 2017, when he posted a 17-5 record with a 1.59 ERA.
Years Without Such a Low ERA
Before 2024, the last time Sugano posted such a low ERA was in 2020, when he made 20 appearances for the Yomiuri Giants, posting a 1.97 ERA with a 14-2 record. In the past four years, his ERA had been above two, averaging around three.
