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DENVER, COLORADO - JULY 18: Tomoyuki Sugano #11 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Coors Field on July 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When the Colorado Rockies signed Tomoyuki Sugano (菅野 智之) for $5.1 million back in February, the move came with some concern and ridicule. After all, Sugano led the American League in home runs allowed in 2025 and was now going to call Coors Field his home. For a team already grasping at straws when it came to effective starting pitching, what in the world were president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes thinking?
Five months later, the signing has turned out far better than expected as Sugano has easily been one of the most reliable and consistent starters for the Rockies, and perhaps could turn into a potential trade chip leading up to the August 3 trade deadline.
The hope was that Sugano’s extensive pitching experience, combined with a vast repertoire of pitches and ability to throw strikes, would help stabilize the rotation and raise the competitive floor. Through 17 starts this season, Sugano has remained a steadying force through the rollercoaster season the rotation has had.
Ol’ reliable
By no means has Sugano been lights out. It’s easy to scoff at his 4.76 ERA through 17 starts. The number is higher than his 4.64 ERA over 30 starts last season in Baltimore, and he does give up a fair amount of contact. However, he has proven to be consistent and reliable and does everything he can to give his team a chance to win.
Indeed, he isn’t going to put up zeroes every start. He only has one outing this season in which he didn’t allow a run. Yet, what Sugano has been able to do is mostly mitigate damage and give the team consistent length each start, something that can’t be said of the rest of the rotation.
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He has failed to pitch five full innings just three times this season, most recently on May 27 when he went 4.2 innings. The other two times came within his first four starts of the season. Time after time, Sugano is capable of tossing five solid innings and sometimes pitches a little bit deeper than that. He has recorded five quality starts this season and has 12 starts in which he has allowed three or fewer runs. That is the type of performance you can be confident in at the back of your rotation.
Those chances to win have resulted in him receiving an average of 6.69 runs of support from the offense. Sure, that number is inflated by some lopsided games, but there is still plenty of merit in the fact that Sugano has a 9-4 record. In fact, he is on the cusp of becoming the first Rockies starting pitcher to win 10 or more games in a season since Germán Márquez won 12 back in 2021.
The Coors effect
The easy assumption is that Sugano has been torched at Coors Field while finding success on the road. The strange reality is that he has proven to be fairly effective at home while struggling more on the road. In eight starts at home this season, he is 6-2 with a 4.15 ERA compared to the 5.32 ERA on the road. In one fewer start at Coors Field, Sugano has allowed 10 fewer runs in three fewer innings.
Opponents are hitting just .267/.307/.497 against him at Coors Field while hitting .269/.315/.527 on the road. Across the line, there isn’t much difference in Sugano’s splits save for the fact that he has given up more home runs on the road and teams have just done more with the traffic generated there as well. Otherwise, his strikeouts and walks are essentially even home and away.
Regardless of where he is pitching, Sugano’s ability to pound the zone is a great tool. It also helps to have a quality defense behind him, especially at Coors Field. Much like last season in Baltimore, Sugano sports a 5.39 FIP, which shows that a good defense is essential, and the Rockies’ gloves are at their best with the 36-year-old on the mound.
The home run oddity
Because Sugano gives up a lot of contact and is in the zone 48.7% of the time, he is still prone to giving up home runs. The peculiarity of the home runs, however, is that of the 18 home runs he has surrendered, only three have come with a runner on base. He is the living embodiment of the baseball adage “solo home runs won’t kill you.”
Sure, it’s never great to give up home runs, but given the choice, a solo home run is always the preferred type. The main trouble comes when those home runs start to stack up in a single game, as Sugano has allowed in five games this season. Still, despite the 44.4% hard hit rate against him, it’s not the home runs that are hurting Sugano when he pitches. If anything, it’s the 30 doubles he has allowed.
Either way, the concern of home runs at the start of the season proved less detrimental than was feared. So often the solo home runs were the only source of runs for the opponents, resulting in another solid outing for Sugano and the chance for a Rockies win.
Defying the odds
It’s truly been an oddity of a season for Sugano from a statistical standpoint. In a day and age where most assumptions and decisions about player performance are derived from a stat sheet, metrics, and projection models, it’s marvelous to see a player defy the odds placed on him.
A look at his chart on Baseball Savant indicates that Sugano should be one of the worst pitchers in the league by the sea of blue.
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Yet some way, somehow, he consistently goes out and competes and gets the job done. In games that he has started, the Rockies have gone on to lose by more than three runs just twice. The numbers aren’t pretty when you dig into them, but for the Rockies they don’t have to be.
Sugano’s job as a starting pitcher is to go out and compete to give the Rockies the best chance to win a game. For the majority of his 17 starts, he has done that. He is also a model example of the mentality Rockies pitchers need to have. He is unfazed by things that happen in the game. If he gives up a home run, he comes right after the next hitter with the same pitch. There is a confidence that draws upon a storied career in Japan and knowledge of who he is as a pitcher and what he does well. There are some things that metrics can’t measure about Sugano and who he is as a person.
Is what he is doing this season sustainable or particularly valuable? Probably not. But there could be a scenario where a contending team desperate for pitching could inquire about Sugano and make a small trade for him.
If not, the Rockies could retain him for the rest of the season and rely on his example for the younger arms while he finishes as one of the most valuable Rockies in 2026.
On the farm
Triple-A:Albuquerque Isotopes 9, Round Rock Express 4
It was a tight game until the seventh inning when the Albuquerque Isotopes scored two runs in the seventh to take the lead and added on four more in the eighth to secure the victory. Ryan Ritter, Charlie Condon, and Chad Stevens each had two hits, but it was Bryant Betancourt who had the big night, driving in three runs as he went 1-for-2 with a double. Valente Bellozo started on the mound and allowed four runs over five innings of work, followed by 2.2 scoreless innings from Blake Adams. John Brebbia secured the save with a clean ninth inning.
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats at Richmond Flying Squirrels (Postponed)
The rain has hit the East Coast, cancelling most games for the day. The Yard Goats will play a doubleheader on Wednesday.
High-A: Spokane Indians 5, Tri-City Dust Devil 4
Spokane got strong performances from both the offense and pitching as they secured the victory over Tri-City. Bryson Hammer made the start on the mound and allowed three runs, none earned, on three hits with six strikeouts over five innings. Tommy Hopfe went 3-for-5 with two RBI at the top of the lineup while Jacob Humphrey and Tanner Tach each hit a home run. Kelvin Hidalgo also added a two-hit night to prop up the bottom of the order.
Low-A:Rancho Cucamonga Quakes 6, Fresno Grizzlies 4
The Fresno Grizzlies managed two runs in the bottom of the eighth to get back within two, but fell short with a harmless ninth inning. Austin Newton made the start for Fresno, allowing five runs on nine hits over 4.1 innings. He gave way to Easton Marks, who threw 4.2 innings, giving up just one run on three hits. Offensively, Carlos Renzullo and Wilder Dalis led the way with two hits apiece. Renzullo had a double while Dalis added a home run. Cameron Nelson also had a double in the game with an RBI.
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