Japan's Premier12 pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano set to test MLB market

Japan's Premier12 pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano set to test MLB market
02/12/2020
Kohei ARIHARA and Haruki NISHIKAWA are also going through the so-called posting system. Venezuelan slugger Josè OSUNA (Pittsburgh Pirates) is going the other way and signed for the Yakult Swallows.

Yomiuri Giants right-handed starting pitcher Tomoyuki SUGANO is set to leave Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) to play the 2021 season in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Giants are reportedly making SUGANO available through the so-called posting system, according to MLB.com's Jon Morosi.

SUGANO is a pitcher who compiled a stellar 101-50 record in an eight-year NPB career that started in 2013. He has a 2.34 earned-run average over 99 games started.

The 31-year-old appeared in two games, starting one, for Samurai Japan during the inaugural WBSC Premier12 in 2015, where he flashed a 153 km/h (95 mph) fastball.

Kohei ARIHARA of the Nippon Ham Fighters is another NPB right-hander who is going to test the posting system in the following weeks. The 28-year-old was the Pacific League Rookie of the Year 2015.

The Nippon Ham Fighters are also going to post outfielder Haruki NISHIKAWA, a former All-Star and gold glove winner, who is also 28 years old. NISHIKAWA was part of the Samurai Japan National Team roster for the 2019 exhibition games against Mexico.

The Tokyo Yakult Swallows announced the signing of Venezuelan slugger Josè OSUNA, who appeared in 276 MLB games between 2017 and 2020 for the Pittsburgh Pirates. OSUNA also played for the Margarita Bravos in the Venezuelan Winter League.