Tomoyuki Sugano has clearly stated his intention to continue playing in Major League Baseball next year and expressed his willingness to represent his country in the World Baseball Classic.

Tomoyuki Sugano, the Japanese pitcher who joined MLB this season, publicly shared his hope to take part in next March’s World Baseball Classic (WBC). He stated that if he receives an invitation, he will fully commit himself to supporting the national team.

This season with the Baltimore Orioles, Sugano started 30 games, finishing with a 10-10 win-loss record and a 4.64 ERA. Over a total of 157 innings pitched, he allowed 173 hits, struck out 106 batters, and issued 36 walks.

Sugano’s one-year contract with the Orioles expired after this season. At a recent event, he discussed his goals for next year, emphasizing once again: “I am 100% staying in the Major Leagues. The challenges are very clear, and how much effort I put into overcoming them this offseason will determine if I can achieve better results next year.” He revealed plans to start training in mid-December and added, “My physical condition is very good, and I will tune it to peak form. I’m basically familiar with the MLB pace and looking forward to next year.” Regarding the Classic, Sugano said, “If invited, I will give my full effort. I want to be an immediate asset. My physical condition is really good now, and if I can overcome some issues, I believe I can deliver better performances than this year.”

When asked about his future as a free agent, Sugano firmly stated he is “100% staying with an MLB team” next season. Meanwhile, two powerful Japanese hitters from Nippon Professional Baseball, Munetaka Murakami of the Tokyo Yakult Swallows and Kazuma Okamoto of the Yomiuri Giants, will challenge MLB through the posting system this offseason. Speaking about these two heavy hitters, Sugano especially mentioned wanting to face Okamoto on the MLB stage. He said, “I’ve faced Murakami many times, but since we were teammates before, we never really competed against each other. So I’m very eager to have a showdown with Okamoto.”