Suiguchi spent a total of three years in the industrial leagues, pitching despite recurring shoulder issues and working on his fastball velocity until it clocked (his fastball had hovered around in high school). The Fukuoka Daiei Hawks (currently the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks) selected Sugiuchi in the third round of the 2001 NPB amateur draft held that fall, presenting him with the uniform number 47, the same number as former Hawks left-hander Kimiyasu Kudo. (Sugiuchi had idolized Kudo, still an active pitcher with the Saitama Seibu Lions today, as a child.)