When the Yomiuri Giants did the unthinkable — at least for the Kyojin — and made pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano available to MLB teams via the posting system in 2020, Shosei Togo was quickly labeled heir apparent as the staff ace.
Togo, who was 20 then, was the center of attention for a brief period that offseason before Sugano ultimately returned to the club. That time, though, likely helped prepare him for the moment and the responsibility he is facing now.
Togo has grown since then. He learned hard lessons in 2021 and bounced back as the team’s best pitcher in 2022. He pitched for Japan at the World Baseball Classic this spring — and struck out Mike Trout during the final. With Sugano sidelined due to elbow discomfort, Togo began this season as the unquestioned No. 1 pitcher.