Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks star Kensuke Kondoh (left) and Yomiuri Gants pitcher Tomoyuki Sugano display their MVP plaques and trophies at the 2024 NPB Awards ceremony on November 26 in Tokyo. (©SANKEI)
Read the full story on SportsLook - [NPB NOTEBOOK] Sugano and Kondoh Receive MVP Honors in Their Respective Leagues
Tomoyuki Sugano and Kensuke Kondoh were rewarded for their outstanding performances when NPB handed out its MVP awards for the 2024 season on Tuesday, November 26.
The 35-year-old Sugano bounced back from three subpar seasons when he went 15-3 this season to lead the Central League in wins for the Yomiuri Giants.
Sugano, who finished second in the CL with a stellar 1.67 ERA for the league champion Giants, received 253 of 302 first-place votes cast for the award.
It was an impressive turnaround for Sugano, who went just 4-8 in the 2023 Nippon Professional Baseball campaign and made some adjustments to his delivery in the off-season.
"A year ago, I don't think anyone thought I could win an MVP," Sugano said, according to Kyodo News. "But I believed I could do it. I want to take it to the next level next year."
Sugano won the CL MVP accolade for the second time in 2020 and was then made available to MLB teams through the posting system but failed to sign a contract overseas and returned to the Giants.
The veteran pitcher has indicated he is still interested in signing with an MLB club and his numbers this season will certainly help, but his age is likely to raise some flags.
Kondoh Makes a Big Impact for Hawks
Kondoh, 31, was instrumental in helping the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks to their first PL championship in four years.
A year after barely missing out on winning the PL Triple Crown, Kondoh won this year's batting title with a .314 batting average and led the league in walks (92), on-base percentage (.439) and slugging average (.521).
Kondoh received 158 of 259 first-place votes for PL MVP. His teammate Hotaka Yamakawa was second with 78.
"It took a while, but I did feel I might win it someday," Kondoh said, according to Kyodo News.
A converted catcher, Kondoh joined the Hawks as a free agent prior to the 2023 season and was a key member when Japan won the World Baseball Classic in 2023.
On Friday, Kondoh agreed to a ¥550 million JPY ($3.7 million USD) deal for 2025, the third season of his seven-year contract with the Hawks.
The 31-year-old Kondoh helped the Hawks reach the Japan Series where they lost in six games to the Yokohama DeNA BayStars.
Takeuchi, Funabasama Named NPB's Top Rookies
Saitama Seibu Lions left-handed pitcher Natsuki Takeuchi won the PL Rookie of the Year Award, receiving 242 of 259 votes while Yomiuri reliever Hiromasa Funabasama took the CL's top rookie honor.
Takeuchi went 10-6 for the last-place Lions and was runner-up in league ERA with a stellar 2.17 result over 145⅓ innings.
Funabasama, a fifth-round draft pick in 2022, racked up 22 holds in middle relief with four wins for a much-improved Giants pitching staff.
Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.
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Author: Jim Armstrong
The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.
