The New York Mets knew they had something special when they brought Kodai Senga over from Japan, but 2025 might finally be the season where he puts it all together.
And if he stays on this path, he could crash the Cy Young conversation in a big way.
Senga’s Ridiculous 2025 Start
Over 22.2 innings this year, Senga is posting video game numbers: a 0.79 ERA, an 88% left-on-base rate, and a 40.7% ground ball rate.
This is coming off a year where he was barely seen, tossing just 5.1 innings in 2024 due to injury.
Now? He’s healthier, sharper, and pitching like a man with something to prove.
When you combine elite command with movement that looks like it’s being controlled by a joystick, you get the kind of dominance Senga is showing right now.
The Forkball Is Still His Secret Weapon
If you’re wondering how Senga is carving up lineups, it starts with his legendary forkball.
This season, the pitch is allowing just a .120 batting average and a .120 slugging percentage. Batters are essentially swinging a broomstick against it — producing a 46.9% whiff rate.
It’s only coming in at around 82.7 mph, but the sheer dive on it makes it nearly impossible to square up.
Mix that with a four-seam fastball, a cutter, and a sweeper, and hitters have almost no chance to guess correctly.
Health Is the Key to Senga’s Superstar Leap
Of course, the big question with Senga has always been durability.
When healthy, he’s one of the nastiest arms in baseball. But keeping him on the mound has been the challenge.
If Senga can maintain his health through the summer, the Mets could have the rare privilege of boasting a true ace leading their rotation into the postseason.
He’s pitching with the confidence and polish of a veteran who knows exactly how to dissect a lineup — like a surgeon with a baseball in his hand.
Popular Reading: