Major league free agent veteran Tomoyuki Sugano has returned to the fold as defending champions Japan continued to fill out their 30-man roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic on Friday (16 February).
Sugano, 36, pitched for the Baltimore Orioles last season, going 10-10 with a 4.64 ERA. The right-hander – a former Nippon Professional Baseball MVP with the Yomiuri Giants who was Japan’s ace before having to withdraw from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic team due to injury – is a two-time WBC selection having competed at the 2017 edition.
Japan manager Hirokazu Ibata named 10 others on this day, including nine bats.
They are: Kensuke Kondo, Ukyo Shuto, Taisei Makihara (Softbank Fukuoka Hawks); Seishiro Sakamoto, Teruaki Sato, Shota Morishita (Hanshin Tigers); Sosuke Genda (Saitama Seibu Lions); Kenya Wakatsuki (Orix Buffaloes); Shugo Maki (Yokohama DeNA BayStars).
SoftBank’s Yuki Matsumoto was the other pitcher added. Japan will name their full squad on 6 February, when MLB stars Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Munetaka Murakami are expected to be included.
Ibata had announced his first batch of players last month, among them reigning tournament MVP Shohei Ohtani.