According to reports, Tomoyuki Sugano, the best pitcher in Japan, is likely to be posted by the Yomiuri Giants during the offseason.
Tomoyuki Sugano has been one of the most decorated pitchers in the history of Nippon Professional Baseball. The 31 year old has been the league MVP, and won two Sawamura Awards, the NPB version of the Cy Young. He has little left to prove in Japan.
Now he may have a new league in which to prove himself. According to reports, Sugano is likely to be posted this offseason, allowing the righty to get his opportunity in the majors.
This may be the perfect time for Sugano to come over. He has been excellent this season, posting a 13-2 record with a 2.05 ERA and a 0.895 WHiP, striking out 121 batters with 23 walks in his 127.1 innings.
Considered to be a high end third starter in the majors, Sugano is noted for his impressive command. In his 1352 innings in Japan, he has issued just 263 walks, leading to an impressive 1.8 BB/9 rate.
That command allows his already solid stuff to play up that much more. While his fastball sits in the lower 90s, it is still a strong pitch due to his ability to spot the ball pretty much wherever he wants. Sugano also has a plus slider that he uses as his out pitch, primarily setting it up to go out of the zone with two strikes. He can also turn that pitch into a cutter, although he does not use the pitch often. A plus splitter rounds out his arsenal; that pitch has an extremely high spin rate and tunnels perfectly with his slider.
Sugano has also had success against major league hitters. Back in 2017, he faced the United States team in the World Baseball Classic, allowing just one unearned run over six innings, giving up just three hits and a walk while striking out six batters. That performance will certainly make him all the more intriguing once he is posted.
The best pitcher in Japan may be coming stateside in the coming weeks. Tomoyuki Sugano is expected to be posted by the Yomiuri Giants this offseason.