After signing Michael Lorenzen to their rotation earlier this season, the Colorado Rockies indicated they were still looking for another veteran starting pitcher. It appears the starting pitcher has been selected as the Rockies have reportedly signed Japanese right-handed pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano to a one-year deal worth $5.1 million for the 2026 season.
Sugano, 36, is from the coastal Kanagawa Prefecture of Japan and spent 12 years working strong with the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball.
He is the first Japanese player to play for the Rockies organization since Kazuo Matsui in 2007, and the first Japanese pitcher since Mac Suzuki in 2001.
Working as both a starter and reliever, Sugano has a career 2.43 ERA over 276 NPB appearances. He tried to get into the post system after the 2020 season but was not signed.
The Baltimore Orioles signed Sugano to a one-year, $13 million contract for the 2025 season. During his rookie campaign, he worked exclusively as a starter and posted a 4.64 ERA over 30 starts and 157 innings, while recording 106 strikeouts. It’s also worth noting that Sugano led the American League in home runs given up at 33 – the third most in Major League Baseball – but also had one of the better walk rates in the league.
Sugano’s primary throw is a split finger that averaged 87.3 MPH last season, backed up by a sweeping slider. He throws two fastballs, a four-seam and a “Shuutowhich is sometimes identified as a sinker. Both pitches averaged almost 93 MPH last season. Sugano also throws a curveball, a cutter, and has worked with a forkball during his time at NPB.
Sugano will report to the Rockies’ Spring Training Facility in Scottsdale on Thursday along with the rest of the team’s pitchers and catchers. He is also expected to pitch for Samurai Japan during this year’s World Baseball Classic.
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