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Tomoyuki Sugano's early life and NPB career

Tomoyuki Sugano's early life, childhood and career in Japan

Tomoyuki was born into a baseball family!

Tomoyuki Sugano(菅野智之 in kanji) was born on October 11, 1989 in Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Prefecture. He was born into a baseball family: his grandfather was Mitsugu Hara, who was a famous college baseball general; his uncle was Tatsunori Hara, a professional baseball player; and his father was Takashi Sugano, a college baseball draft candidate. Tomoyuki became interested in baseball after watching his uncle Tatsunori Hara's retirement game in 1995, just before he entered elementary school. When Tomoyuki became an elementary school student, he joined the Torin Falcons, a youth baseball club.

His father Takashi spoke about Tomoyuki at that time: "Tomoyuki started playing baseball in the first grade of elementary school, and I made him eat more food to make his body bigger. However, I never forced him to practice and never made him do more than the necessary amount. I also played baseball in high school and college as a pitcher, but I had the experience of putting up with shoulder pain that ruined me. So I put the most emphasis on taking care of his body."

Tomoyuki's position was basically pitcher since he was in the first grade of elementary school. This was because he was big and his pitch was fast. In elementary school baseball, changing pitches are not allowed, so basically, the fastest pitcher becomes the ace. Tomoyuki was also that type of player. In the sixth grade, he became the ace of the team and the mainstay of the lineup. However, it was the common understanding of the coaches at the time that he was not a "monster" type of player.

Mr. Kono, who coached Tomoyuki at the time, said, "Tomoyuki's pitches were fast, but he did not have fine control yet. His batting also flew when he hit it, but he struck out a lot. Because of his size, he had more basic strength and power than the other children, but I didn't get the impression that he was outstanding in terms of technique or sense."

Mr. Matsui, who also coached Tomoyuki at the time, also had some misgivings about him. Mr. Matsui said, "Tomoyuki had no problem in elementary school because of his high basic ability. However, as a pitcher, his body was also quite stiff, and I wondered what would happen when the next generation moved up. Of course, I felt he had talent, but I've seen many kids of the same type who 'didn't grow up' after that."

However, their fears turned out to be unfounded. Matsui and Kono spoke in unison about Tomoyuki's phenomenal growth after junior high school. When they saw Tomoyuki pitch at a local junior high school, they could see that he had definitely grown more and more. His body, which had been stiff in elementary school, had been completely improved by flexibility exercises and stretching.

What was Tomoyuki's life and practice like during those junior high school days? At Shinmachi Junior High School, where he went to school, morning practice started at 7:00 a.m. on weekdays, and he was the first one on the ground. After he entered junior high school, he and his father would "practice before morning practice" at a park near their home.

Tomoyuki's teacher, Mr. Naito, said, "Tomoyuki was in an environment where he had to work hard because of his great grandfather, uncle, and father. I think that environment helped him grow into such a great pitcher. I especially remember that Tomoyuki often looked at his notepad, in which were written the training menus given to him by either his grandfather or his father."

Through relentless practice, Tomoyuki threw a fastest 79mph in his third year of junior high school and led his team to the prefectural tournament championship as a pitcher. After graduating from junior high school, he chose to attend Tokai University Sagami High School, his father's alma mater. He was the "king of the hill" in elementary and junior high school, but his father always told him, "There is always someone higher up." When he entered high school, he saw his classmates and seniors at a higher level, and he felt those words keenly. It was his first setback, but he still practiced hard and spent his days repeatedly experiencing both confidence and frustration, becoming the ace pitcher in the fall of his sophomore year.

In the semifinals of the Kanagawa Tournament in the summer of his third and final year of high school, Tomoyuki threw 168 pitches and his team won 6-4. In the following final game, he was scheduled to pitch in relief, but was told on the day of the game that he would be the starter and made to pitch consecutively. He pitched to exhaustion and finished the game, but the team lost 8-10. The team finished runner-up in the prefectural tournament and failed to qualify for the national tournament (Koshien).

In 2021, Tomoyuki spoke of his feelings at the time: "In the finals, I was just so tired and wanted the game to end sooner rather than win or lose. I didn't even want to think about my future after graduation for a while after the summer tournament was over." He never made it to the national tournament in his three years of high school.

Later, Tomoyuki entered Tokai University, the same university as his uncle and grandfather, with the desire to "become a professional baseball player after developing undisputed power. He started playing in official games from his first year of college, and in his senior year, he won all the awards, including the Most Distinguished Player, Best Pitcher, and Best Nine. In 2019, Tomoyuki spoke about his college days, "I didn't make it to Koshien in high school, so I didn't want to lose to players who had made it to Koshien. College baseball is a league game, so just like professional baseball, I would play the same opponents over and over again. I had to grasp the characteristics of my opponents and throw at their weak points, and conversely, I had to respond to the strategies they devised so that I would not be defeated. That experience is still with me now that I am a pro."

At the 2011 draft meeting, the Yomiuri Giants, whose manager is his uncle Tatsunori Hara, and the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters selected Tomoyuki with the first pick. As a result of the lottery, the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters won the right to negotiate, but Tomoyuki refused to join the team and chose to stay in college. The reason for his refusal was that joining the Giants had been his dream since he was a child. The following year, in the 2012 draft, Tomoyuki was again selected first by the Giants and joined the team.

In 2013, his first year with the team, Tomoyuki made his first professional appearance and first start on March 30. That year, he pitched 176 innings, compiling a 13-6 record with a 3.12 ERA, 155 strikeouts, and one complete game. He was instrumental in winning his first league championship and was honored with a special rookie of the year award. He was also the starting pitcher for three consecutive years starting in 2014, winning titles such as Best Defensive Ratio, Most Strikeouts, and Best Nine.

In 2017, Tomoyuki was selected as a member of the Japanese national team for the WBC, starting against Australia, Cuba, and the United States. He also started in the semifinals against the U.S. at Dodger Stadium and pitched well, allowing one run in six innings with six strikeouts, including three strikeouts of Nolan Arenado in the fourth. Although the Japanese team lost the game, U.S. national team manager Jim Leyland commented on Tomoyuki, saying, "He is the equivalent of a major league pitcher."

After the WBC, Tomoyuki was not the starting pitcher due to the WBC, but he performed as usual, eventually pitching 187 1/3 innings, going 17-5 with a 1.59 ERA, 171 strikeouts, and four complete games. He won his first career Most Wins and his third Best Defensive Ratio for the second year in a row. He would go on to have a similar record in the following years, going 14-2 with a 1.97 ERA, 131 strikeouts, and three complete games in 137 1/3 innings pitched in 2020. He applied for MLB posting that offseason, but due to COVID 19, he decided against an MLB challenge and stayed with the team.

In 2021, Tomoyuki was plagued by the effects of COVID 19, which still lingered, and his own poor condition. His final record was 6-7 with a 3.19 ERA and 102 strikeouts in 115 2/3 innings pitched. He recovered a bit in 2022, with a final record of 10-7, a 3.12 ERA, and 104 strikeouts in 147 innings pitched. However, in 2023 he was frequently out of condition, and his final record was 77 2/3 innings pitched, with a 4-8 record, a 3.36 ERA, and 54 strikeouts. His pitch count, wins, and strikeouts were the worst of his career as a professional.

In 2024, Tomoyuki spent the off-season improving his conditioning and practice methods, as well as changing his plate position and pre-pitching routine. He entered the season with extraordinary determination. As a result, his final record was 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA, 111 strikeouts, and one complete game in 156 2/3 innings pitched. He won the title of most wins for the first time in four years, and also achieved a single point in the defensive ratio for the fourth time.

Tomoyuki announced his challenge to MLB with overseas FA rights after the season. He agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles on December 17, 2024. In his press conference, he said of his reasons for choosing the Orioles, "I felt the most enthusiasm. The Orioles have a great pitching staff and one of the best catchers in the majors. I simply signed with a team that has a shot at the championship." As for his one-year contract, he said, "I will use this one-year contract as motivation to get results this year."

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