Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Seen as Sleeper Candidate for AL Rookie of Year

The Baltimore Orioles have a pitcher that fits the profile of one that could content for the American League rookie of the year as a sleeper candidate.

Mar 14, 2025; Sarasota, Florida, USA; Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano (19) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Minnesota Twins at Ed Smith Stadium. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

As the start of the regular season gets closer for the Baltimore Orioles, the team is hoping that a busy offseason will pave their way to make the postseason for the third straight year. 

After many seasons of struggles, the Orioles have been able to put together an impressive core of talent that has been homegrown. 

The drafting and development of hitters has been arguably the greatest strength of the organization and that has been paying dividends in recent years. 

With a great lineup, Baltimore has been able to win the most games in the American League the last two years. While that is a great accomplishment, it has yet to turn into postseason success. 

This offseason, it’s hard to say that the Orioles got better with the losses of Anthony Santander and Corbin Burnes. Even though the lineup might be able to survive without Santander, losing their ace was a significant blow. 

Baltimore will be hoping that some pitchers step up for them this season, especially considering another ace wasn’t brought in to replace Burnes. 

Recently, Jake Rill of MLB.com wrote about starting pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano for the Orioles and how impressive he’s been this spring so far. 

“With how good Sugano has looked this spring, he could be a sleeper candidate for the American League Rookie of the Year Award," he wrote.

The right-hander might be up for the award in the American League this year, but he is far from a rookie. With a 12-year career in Japan for the Yomiuri Giants, Sugano is a proven veteran at this stage of his career. 

However, his playing career in Japan doesn’t affect his eligibility for the Rookie of the Year award in the AL this season, giving him a nice potential advantage. 

Baltimore would surely love to see him in the running for the award, as that would mean he is having a great season. 

The right-hander is coming over very late in his pitching career, which can be seen as both a positive and a negative. 

On the bright side, the Orioles don’t need to worry about developing Sugano at this stage of his career. He is a veteran pitcher who has pitched for a long time and shouldn’t be afraid of pitching in the Majors. 

However, the downside is his age. Coming up to the Majors at 35 years old could be a recipe for disaster if he’s on the tail end of his career. 

Hopefully for Baltimore, Sugano is able to continue his strong performances from spring training and carry it right into his rookie season.