SARASOTA, Fla. — It wasn’t clear if Adley Rutschman was being humble or telling the truth.
After he exited Thursday’s game at Ed Smith Stadium, Rutschman said that he and newcomer Tomoyuki Sugano recently played a round of golf together so the batterymates could get to know each other better.
Then came the most important question: Who’s the better golfer? Rutschman didn’t hesitate.
“He is. He is,” the catcher said with a smile. “He’s really good.”
Was Rutschman being honest, or was he just boosting his new teammate? Sugano answered that a few minutes later when posed the same question: Who’s the better golfer?
Sugano listened to team interpreter Yuto Sakurai translate the question. He then paused as a wry smile took over his face.
“Me,” he said in English.
Sugano started his last spring training game before the real thing next weekend in Toronto. The Japanese superstar wasn’t as sharp as he’d been in his previous four outings, but he ended camp with a solid 3.00 ERA.
The round of golf between perhaps the Orioles’ biggest American star and definitively their most prominent (and only) Japanese player was part of the ongoing process to get Sugano accustomed to America, MLB and the Orioles. While Gary Sánchez could play a large role in catching Sugano given the backstop’s experience with Japanese hurlers, Rutschman will still spend plenty of time working with the 35-year-old right-hander.
Rutschman, who caught Sugano on Thursday against the New York Yankees, said he’s worked to overcome the language barrier to get to know Sugano as both a pitcher and a person.
“He’s a funny guy. Just a cool dude,” said Rutschman, who hit a three-run homer in the 9-7 loss. “Seems like a really down-to-Earth guy, works his butt off every single day he’s out there. Just to see a guy like that in a new environment and just getting comfortable and doing his thing has been really cool for me to watch, and I think everyone else.”
Rutschman said he’s “been trying” to learn a few Japanese words to communicate with Sugano, but they’re mostly able to communicate in English, or through Sakurai if there’s any confusion.
“He definitely knows more English than I know Japanese,” Rutschman said.
Manager Brandon Hyde said the relationship between Sugano and his new catchers is “going great.”
“They’re working really hard to get to know him well,” Hyde said. “The communication’s been really, really good.”
As a catcher, Rutschman has more responsibilities than simply calling pitches, throwing runners out and batting second in the Orioles’ lineup. Behind the scenes, it’s Rutschman’s job to cultivate a relationship with every pitcher on his staff so that they can cohesively work together in high-pressure moments during the season.
Hyde said it was “really cool” to learn Sugano and Rutschman played a round of golf together as they continue to grow their relationship.
“Our guys are hanging out a lot together. That’s a sign of a team that’s close,” Hyde said. “Everyone’s going out of their way to make the new guys feel welcome. I like the chemistry of our club right now.”
Sugano entered his start having not allowed a run all spring, spanning 10 1/3 innings. While he mostly faced lesser competition, the soft-tosser showcased his elite command and a six-pitch mix that made him one of the most decorated pitchers in the history of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. But he lacked that command in the first inning, and he gave up a two-run double off the right field wall to Jazz Chisholm Jr. Two innings later, Chisholm took Sugano deep to right field for a three-run homer.
“My command gradually got better,” Sugano said. “The first couple innings, my command wasn’t there. So I kind of felt bad for Adley, but as the game went on, it got better and better.”
Sugano allowed five runs, six hits and two walks while striking out four and building up to 84 pitches.
“Besides the two Chisholm at-bats, I thought he was pretty good,” Hyde said. “A lot of mix, which he’s going to do, but I thought he had a good outing. He got his pitch count up. It was good for him to face some guys he’s going to face during the season in the AL East.”
Despite the results, Rutschman said he “really liked” how Sugano pitched Thursday, especially the frequency at which he was able to throw his splitter. Sugano entered the outing wanting to work on the pitch that is critical for him to get swings and misses and groundouts.
“My last outing, my splitter wasn’t quite there, so for the past week I have focused on throwing the splitter,” Sugano said. “I was able to do so this game. It went well.”
The Orioles have yet to announce their rotation after opening day starter Zach Eflin No. 2 starter Charlie Morton. Sugano will almost certainly make his official MLB debut March 29 or 30 against the Blue Jays.
Is he ready? Again, Sugano only needed one word, but this time, he delivered it in Japanese.
“Hai.”
Have a news tip? Contact Jacob Calvin Meyer at [email protected], 410-332-6200 and x.com/JCalvinMeyer.
