I've won 136 games in my career, and I've won all the pitching titles, but only the rookie award...Should Old Rookie Sugano enter the 36-year-old ML and seek the oldest rookie in 75 years

Jan 04, 2025

Sugano is the Yomiuri ace who has won 136 games in 12 seasons. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

Sugano, who won only four games in 2023, won 15 games last year. After four years, he returned to the top of the list and succeeded in advancing to the major leagues. Signed with Baltimore for one year-13 million. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

Chicago Cubs left-hander Shota Imanaga (32, Chicago Cubs) shook the Major League Baseball early in the 2024 season. Imanaga, who took the mound for the first time in the home opener, reported his first win lightly with nine strikeouts and no runs in six innings. He had a 0.84 ERA in nine games since his debut. He was selected as the top candidate for the Cy Young Award for the most promising rookie award.

Although he failed to continue his early momentum as he slowed down in the middle of the season, he showed an amazing performance in harvesting 15 wins (3 losses, 2.91 ERA). He started 29 games, pitched 173 ⅓ innings, and struck out 174 times. His 13 wins in 2019 at the Yokohama BayStars were his personal most wins, but he easily exceeded his major league debut season.

Imanaga sought the fifth Japanese Rookie of the Year after Nomo Hideo (1995), Kazuo Sasaki (2000), Ichiro Suzuki (2001), and Shohei Ohtani (2018), but failed. Last year, the National League did not make the final three candidates due to the all-time rookie competition. Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skins won 11-3 with a 1.96-170 strikeout in 23 games, earning him the Rookie of the Year honor in his second year of joining the club.

Imanaga moved to Yokohama after winning 64 games in eight seasons. He signed a four-year, $53 million contract with the Chicago Cubs.

36 years old 'Old Rookie'Sugano Tomoyuki will challenge for the Rookie of the Year in the Major League after Imana. Sugano told the Japanese sports magazine Sports Hochi in a New Year interview that `I won all the pitching titles in Japan, but I'm the only one who hasn't won the Rookie of the Year title.' Veteran in his mid-30s is also a rookie who will make his first major league debut.

Sugano signed a one-year $13 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles in December. He has achieved his long-cherished dream of entering the Major League.

He has been on an elite course as Japan's most prestigious Yomiuri Giants ace, and it is notable that there is no rookie title.

Sugano was seeking to advance to the major leagues in the 2020 offseason, but gave up. He revived after four years and achieved his dream of entering the Major League. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

He joined the No. 1 rookie draft in 2013. He has achieved remarkable performance as a representative pitcher of the Yomiuri Giants for 12 years. He won multiple games and topped the ERA four times, and received the Sawamura Award, which is given to the best starting pitcher, twice. He became the first pitcher to receive three MVP trophies. He also won the King of Seungryul and the King of Strikeout twice. In addition, he pitched the most innings once, the most complete throws, and the most shutouts, twice. Sugano went 15-3 with a 1.67 ERA and an 833 win rate last year. He has accumulated 136 wins in his career.

It was good from the first year of my professional career. In 2013, he pitched in 27 games and posted a 13-6 record with a 3.12 ERA. But there was a better rookie that year. Yasuhiro Ogawa (35), right-hander of Yakult Swallows. He won 16 games (4 losses, 2.93 ERA) and was named the best rookie. Sugano, who was pushed back by Ogawa, received the Central League Rookie of the Year Award.

If Sugano becomes the American League Rookie of the Year this year, he will be the oldest winner ever. In 1950, Sam Jessro won the award at the age of 33 for the Boston Braves. Breaking this record for the first time in 75 years. Jessro is a player who entered the Major League after playing in the Negro League, a black league.

Sugano, who started a practice game against Samsung in March 2023. Photo capture =Miuri Giants SNS

Sugano appeared on a Japanese TV program on the 3rd and expressed his thoughts on the major league challenge.

The atmosphere is very different from four years ago when I first tried in the Major League. He gave up after contemplating entering the Major League through the posting system in the winter of 2020. That year, Yomiuri lost all four games to the Pacific League powerhouse Softbank Hawks in the Japan Series. He suffered the humiliation of losing four consecutive games to the same team as the Japan Series for the second consecutive year following 2019.

The major league challenge seemed difficult any more. It has slowed down since becoming the third multi-victory king in 2020. He only won four games (eight losses) in 2023. However, he was revived as an ace last year and flies to a bigger stage.

The atmosphere has completely changed from four years ago. Sugano said, "Four years ago, I didn't feel like I was being cheered to go to the major leagues" he said. His team also did not welcome the ace's departure. The week I gave up after thinking about going to the Major League would have been the worst time.

Sugano "I've changed, the environment has changed. Everyone was happy, and I felt that I was sincerely supporting him." In his mid-30s, he didn't lose his dream

Left-hander Imana, who won 15 games in his first year in the Major League. He pitched six scoreless innings in his debut game. Photo capture = Chicago Cubs SNS

Crab encouragement and support are pouring in. I think it will be a great boost for Sugano, who is challenging the best stage.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.