Tomoyuki Sugano is expected to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic for Japan, according to a Sports Hochi report.
Sugano is a free agent after completing his debut season in Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles. The veteran right-hander went 10-10 with a 4.64 ERA across 157 innings.
Before making the jump to MLB, the 36-year-old spent his entire professional career with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yomiuri Giants, where he built an elite body of work over 12 seasons. The Kanagawa, Japan native logged 1,857 innings with a sterling 2.43 ERA and 1,585 strikeouts, establishing himself as one of the most accomplished pitchers of his generation in Japan.
Sugano then signed a one-year, $13 million deal with Baltimore last offseason and initially showcased his trademark command and veteran poise, posting a 3.04 ERA over his first 12 starts of the 2025 campaign. However, MLB hitters adjusted as the season wore on, and he endured a disastrous final stretch, recording a 5.97 ERA over his final 18 starts.
Still, Samurai Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata appears to place value on Sugano’s leadership abilities and international experience. With Yu Darvish sidelined for all of 2026 due to an elbow injury, he will be the oldest player on the roster by a wide margin. Sugano memorably delivered six shutout innings against Team USA in the 2017 World Baseball Classic semifinals.
Reports of Sugano’s inclusion have drawn mixed reactions from Japanese fans. Some are eager to see the Giants legend take the mound once more at his former home park in the Tokyo Dome, while others have questioned the limited stuff and upside he brings at this stage of his career.
Japan is also reportedly interested in recruiting left-hander Yusei Kikuchi for the tournament, underscoring Ibata’s trust in players with MLB experience. Ibata has consistently leaned on youth in past international competitions since succeeding Hideki Kuriyama following Japan’s 2023 WBC triumph, even making the bold decision of calling up three college players — Yumeto Kanemaru, Misho Nishikawa, and Rui Muneyama — for the Samurai’s exhibition series against the All-Europe All-Stars in March 2024.
The WBC, however, represents the first opportunity for the 50-year-old skipper to incorporate MLB players into his roster construction, adding intrigue to how the final squad will take shape when it is officially announced in January.
Photo: Baltimore Orioles pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Baltimore, Saturday, May 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
