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Orioles veteran starter overcoming potential pitch tipping

Originally posted on Baltimore Orioles on SI
By Kenneth Teape | Last updated Aug 15, 2025 4:00 PM ET

There are always going to be peaks and valleys throughout an MLB season, even for a pitcher with as much experience as Baltimore Orioles veteran Tomoyuki Sugano, who is in his first campaign domestically.

Sugano began his professional career in Japan in 2013 at 23 years old. Now 35, he decided it was time to make the jump to the majors, agreeing to a one-year, $13 million deal with the Orioles as a free agent this past winter.

Baltimore expected him to be a back-of-the-rotation innings eater, someone they could rely on to take the ball every time it was his turn through the rotation. He may be a rookie in North America, but his vast experience and championship mettle over in NPB would benefit an Orioles team looking to take that next step.

While the team’s overall production slacked early in the season, especially on the mound, Sugano got off to a great start. After giving up two runs in his debut in four innings, his ERA would stay below 4.00, even dipping below 3.00 for a time, for nearly three months.

Alas, the potential for regression was always present. His ERA was low, but his FIP painted a different story, reaching as high as 5.89 over the first three months of the season and never dipping below 4.11.

Tomoyuki Sugano has overcome potential pitch tipping issue

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Following a start against the Seattle Mariners on June 3 that dropped his ERA to 3.04, Sugano hit a rough patch. He would surrender at least three earned runs in seven consecutive starts, which brought up some questions about what caused the drastic change in performance.

Did opponents finally have enough tape on him to figure out his pitch sequencing? Was he wearing down because of the pitching schedule being different in MLB than it is in Japan? While those could be factors, what seemed to be his biggest issue was pitch tipping.

It was a topic of discussion after his start against the Cleveland Guardians out of the All-Star break on July 21. He threw 3.2 innings, giving up four runs, three earned, on six hits and four walks.

Asked whether he thinks he could be tipping pitches to opponents, Tomoyuki Sugano, through interpreter, said yes.

"Until my next outing, I'm going to talk to my pitching coach and try to make adjustments," Sugano said
— Andy Kostka (@afkostka) July 22, 2025

That could very well have been the issue, because Sugano is looking more like he did early in the season over his last four starts than he did during the brutal stretch he endured in June and July.

In his four most recent starts against the Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, Athletics and Seattle Mariners, Sugano has fired 23.1 incredibly effective innings. He has a 2.31 ERA and 3.07 FIP over that span, striking out 19 and walking only six. Most importantly, the team has won when he takes the mound, going 4-0.

It may be too little, too late for the Orioles to make a playoff push, but it is encouraging to see the veteran right-hander get back on track. With a 4.13 ERA on the season through 23 starts and 126.1 innings pitched, he is putting himself in a position to land another one-year deal worth at least as much as he signed for this past winter when he hits free agency again in a few months.

This article first appeared on Baltimore Orioles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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