Guardians Identified As Fit For Star Japanese Starting Pitcher

The Cleveland Guardians have been named as a suitor for Nippon Professional Baseball League pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano.

Mar 21, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Japan pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (11) throws a pitch in the first inning against United States during the 2017 World Baseball Classic at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians need more starting pitching. It's no secret that this was one of the reasons their memorable 2024 postseason run fell short to the New York Yankees.

However, now isn't the time for Cleveland's front office to be content with its roster. It must make the necessary upgrades to get back to the ALCS and beyond next year.

One pitcher Jim Bowden of The Athletic identified as a fit for the Guardians is Tomoyuki Sugano from the Nippon Professional Baseball League, who has pitched in the Japanese professional league for over a decade.

March 21, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Japan pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (11) throws against USA in the first inning during the 2017 World Baseball Classic at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Last season in the NPB, Sugano had an ERA of 1.67 and a 0.945 WHIP, bringing his career ERA to a 2.45. He's also won the Sawamura Award twice, which is comparable to MLB's Cy Young award.

The 35-year-old is an intriguing fit for the Guardians, given his strong track record in NPB. No matter their age, players making the transition to MLB baseball will always have questions and unknowns. But numerous pitchers, such as Shohei Ohtani, Yu Darvish, Kenta Maeda, Yusi Kikuchi, Kodia Senga, and Shota Imanaga, have effectively made the shift from the Japanese league to the big leagues.

Even with all of the unknowns surrounding Sugano, he'd likely still provide an upgrade to Cleveland's rotation.

No, no one knows exactly what type of pitcher he'll be once Sugano makes his major league debut, but the Guardians need more pitching and taking a risk on a proven veteran arm is something the front office should feel okay doing if they want to contend in 2025.