Kodai Senga needs to be their ace
Much of the Mets’ hopes this year have been pinned to a questionable starting pitching staff crafted by master roster creator David Stearns. He re-signed Sean Manaea who had a strong 2024 season but certainly did not expect him to spend half the year on the IL. He signed Frankie Montas as one of his reclamation projects and it took into the end of June-early July for him to appear in his first games, and he’s pitched to mixed results. He signed Clay Holmes and fulfilled that pitcher’s desire to move from the pen to the starting rotation, and that move has been a huge success.
After an essentially lost season, Stearns, and the Met fan base expected/hoped that Kodai Senga would come back as the ace of this staff. For the most part, except for some time lost on that misstep to first base, Senga has fulfilled that role. He came back a few days ago against the Royals to throw four strong innings and drop his ERA to 1.39 – moving into Jake deGrom territory. He has all the makings of an ace if he can just stay healthy.
Here is a refresher course on Senga.
Senga was born on January 30, 1993, in Gama Gori, Japan. He debuted in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in April 2012 with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawksver and established himself as one of the league’s elite. He was a three-time NPB All-Star, won multiple Pacific League titles, leading the league in ERA and strikeouts, and even threw a no-hitter in 2019. His signature pitch, the deceptive “ghost forkball,” along with a blazing fastball, slider, cutter, and curveball, all led to his success.
In December 2022, Senga signed a five‑year, $75 million contract with the Mets. In his April 2, 2023, debut, he earned the win allowing just one run over 5⅓ innings and recorded eight strikeouts. He ended up with 202 strikeouts over 166¹⁄₃ innings and made the NL’s All-Star game roster.
Unfortunately, Senga’s 2024 season was marred by injuries - a right shoulder capsule strain relegated him early to the injured list, and later a calf strain in late July ended his regular season.. He was activated for the playoffs but struggled, posting a 12.60 ERA over limited postseason innings, including a tough start in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Dodgers.
Entering 2025, Senga had retuned back to his dominant form until a right hamstring strain on June 12 shelved him again. Before the injury, he led the majors with a 1.47 ERA over roughly 73⅔ innings. His overall 2025 stat line stands at a superb 7–3 record, 1.39 ERA, 74 strikeouts, and a 1.13 WHIP.
Senga was activated from the injured list on July 11, 2025, following a rehab stint in the minors. In his first start back he delivered four scoreless innings with four strikeouts against the KC Royals in a game the Mets eventually won 8-3. While he struggled a bit, he did show glimpses of his trademark poise and command.
Kodai Senga remains among the most talented pitchers in the game - combining a deep, varied arsenal of pitches with electric stuff and stellar command. His peak stretches, like in early 2025, highlight what makes him a potential ace: dominance over hitters, consistent limiting of offensive damage, and the ability to control games.
Yet injuries continue to be his greatest barrier. Frequent trips to the IL have disrupted his momentum and limited both his availability and rhythm. The hope now is for sustained health - the key to unlocking another All-Star season and postseason success.
If he can stay healthy, Senga could anchor the Mets rotation and push the Mets deep in October. For fans and analysts alike, keeping this electric right-hander on the mound consistently remains one of the most tantalizing possibilities in baseball.
Coming back to comment on this post after Senga gave up four runs in three innings against the Angels yesterday. Next time you write about one of our starters, Steven, be sure you knock on wood before hitting "post".
Hopefully just a blip for Senga. He's been dancing around trouble all season long, it was only a matter of time before it actually caught up with him.
Well, the **1973 Mets** — with Seaver, Koosman, and Jon Matlack pitching deep into games — might’ve pushed it to Game 7 of the World Series even with a slow-footed Mark Vientos hitting second. Vientos, after all, is having an underwhelming season — and that’s alongside the wholly absent Francisco Álvarez and a Brett Baty who might project, at best, as a useful 22nd man on a winning roster.
Then there’s the bullpen, manned by a rotating cast of call-ups who may not even be ready for AAAA, let alone the majors. They couldn’t upgrade center field in the offseason — unless you count an unwanted José Siri.
And why trash **Tyrone Taylor**, who saved so many late-game leads?
Sure, the **Dodgers** have the farm system to trade for plug-in pieces every July. They’ve signed multiple top-of-market free agent starters and an entire bullpen’s worth of late-inning relievers. Even someone like **Tommy Edman** was available — and the Cardinals likely couldn’t have afforded him come 2025.
In other words: let’s enjoy what we can. Be patient. The kids are coming — from Brooklyn, Binghamton, and Syracuse — in 2026 and especially in 2027.
Yes, there are missing bats. It’s Mauricio’s first real season. And as for the arms around Díaz — who, to be fair, may not in hindsight this coming November be *just* the fifth-best closer in MLB — they’re not all that impressive, not consistently reliable, and none of them have ever anchored a postseason bullpen.