Tomoyuki Sugano took a quick trip to Baltimore on Monday. He didn¡¯t step foot inside Camden Yards, much less toe the rubber at Oriole Park, but he liked what he saw, loved what he heard and, perhaps just as important, enjoyed what he ate.

¡°Thought it was an incredible city. Loved the feel of it,¡± Sugano said during a Zoom press conference on Thursday night, with VC Sports Group agent Shawn Novak interpreting. ¡°I ate at the restaurant called the Charleston, with incredible food. And I heard the soft-shell crab there is incredible in the summer, so I¡¯m really looking forward to going back and chowing down on soft-shell crab.¡±

Sugano has even higher hopes for next fall after officially signing a one-year contract with the Orioles on Monday that is worth $13 million, a source told MLB.com¡¯s Mark Feinsand.

The Japanese right-hander ended his decorated tenure as the ace for Nippon Professional Baseball¡¯s storied Yomiuri Giants franchise and chose to join the Orioles for a few simple reasons.

¡°It's really the great pitching staff, the pitching development, a great team,¡± he said. ¡°Also that they're contending for a World Series and have an opportunity to win a World Series immediately. Those were the biggest factors.

¡°It was not a difficult decision at all. I had a great career in Japan. I felt like I did all I could there. It¡¯s always been a dream of mine to come play in the States and in MLB, so I¡¯m very excited to take this path.¡±

The 35-year-old wasn¡¯t really exaggerating when he said he¡¯d accomplished all he could in NPB. He has won the Sawamura Award, Japan¡¯s Cy Young, twice. He¡¯s an eight-time All-Star and a three-time Central League MVP, with a 2.45 ERA over his 12-year career. He took home the MVP Award this year after posting a 1.67 ERA with 111 strikeouts in 156 2/3 innings over 24 starts.

Of course, facing Major League hitters will present Sugano with new challenges. He¡¯s done it before, as he pitched against Team USA during the semifinals of the 2017 World Baseball Classic, allowing just one unearned run over six innings in Japan¡¯s 2-1 defeat. That experience only made him more certain he wanted to test his ability in the Majors.

¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to play in the States, pitch in the States, and having the opportunity to pitch at Dodger Stadium in the 2017 [Classic] against the American team was a dream come true,¡± he said. ¡°That really solidified my feelings of wanting to pitch in the big leagues one day.¡±

Sugano won¡¯t be overpowering hitters -- his fastball clocks in around 92 mph -- but he has impeccable control and complements his fastball with a wide array of offerings, and he¡¯s confident those skills will lead to good results no matter where he¡¯s pitching.

¡°Obviously not a guy that throws 100 mph, but I¡¯m very confident in my control, command, my pitch mix. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve had a lot of success in Japan,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not looking to really change anything now. I want to use my pitch selection, my pitch mix, my command to pitch in the States and see where it takes me from there.¡±

Sugano said there¡¯s not necessarily one particular hitter he¡¯s looking forward to facing next season, although he went out of his way to say he¡¯s excited to work with Adley Rutschman, whom he called ¡°a fantastic catcher.¡±

Sugano has already spoken to the Orioles at length about the differences in the NPB and MLB strike zones, his pitch mix and usage -- perhaps even adding to his arsenal -- and how he can be effective in the rugged American League East.

¡°Talked about a lot, but there's a ton more to talk about,¡± he said. ¡°And I¡¯m very excited to get going and talk more pitching with the front office and the coaches.¡±

Sugano said the Orioles¡¯ limited history with Japanese players wasn¡¯t a factor ¡°at all¡± in his decision-making process, nor was the small Japanese population in Baltimore. He will be just the third Japanese-born player to take the field for the O¡¯s, following right-handers Koji Uehara and Shintaro Fujinami.

As his press conference transitioned from questions in English to Japanese, Sugano grabbed an Orioles cap and pulled it over his head. His priorities were clear.

¡°I'm coming to the States to win, to pitch, and all I'm thinking about is baseball,¡± he said. ¡°The Orioles are a great organization and have a chance to win the World Series, and that was my focus.¡±