Sugano, 36, made his MLB debut last season with the Baltimore Orioles after coming over from Japan. He tossed a 4.64 earned run average in 30 starts, finishing the season with 106 strikeouts in 157.0 innings.
He led the American League in home runs given up (33). Now, he'll be pitching in a ballpark that is notorious for home runs for 81 games out of the 2026 season.
Colorado finished dead last in all of baseball last season after posting a 43-119 record.
Prior to his time in the MLB, Sugano spent 12 wildly successful years playing professional ball in Japan - all with the Yomiuri Giants. He is an eight-time Nippon Baseball League All-Star, three-time Japan Central League MVP (2014, 2020, 2024), three-time Gold Glove winner (2016-2018), three-time Central League wins leader (2017, 2018, 2020), two-time Eiji Sawamura Award winner (2017, 2018) for best starting pitcher, and won the Triple Crown in 2018.
He left Japan with a stellar 136-74 record, 2.68 earned run average, and 1,585 strikeouts through 1857.0 innings, allowing 347 walks and 1,568 hits.