After a 2025 season marked by injuries and inconsistency, Kodai Senga faces a turning point in his time with the New York Mets. With the recent arrival of Freddy Peralta, the Japanese pitcher’s future role was once again at the center of debate, but the club’s general manager, David Stearns, dispelled doubts by confirming that he is counting on him as an important part of the rotation for next season.
In an interview with journalist Andy Martino, Stearns highlighted the physical condition and preparation of the right-hander, who arrived in the United States before the end of the year to get a head start on his preseason work.
Kodai has had a great pre-season and looks very fit
“I certainly hope that Kodai Senga is a member of our rotation. He’s had a very good preseason and he looks in great shape,” said the executive, showing confidence in the pitcher’s recovery.
An irregular season, but with solid numbers
Although 2025 was not an easy year for Senga, his statistics reflect that he remained productive when he was on the mound. The Japanese finished the campaign with a 7-6 record, 3.02 ERA, 113.1 innings pitched in 22 starts and 109 strikeouts, as well as a 1.31 WHIP.
However, after a promising start, a hamstring injury suffered in July affected his performance and consistency, which even led to a demotion to Triple-A late in the season. Nevertheless, Stearns never lost confidence in the pitcher, even when rumors of a possible trade circulated.
The “Ghost Fork”, his main weapon
One of the great arguments in favor of Senga remains his distinctive pitch: the “Ghost Fork,” a delivery that deceives hitters with fastball-like appearance before dropping sharply. Even in 2025, that pitch was key to generating swings and misses, as demonstrated in an outing against the Miami Marlins, where he struck out eight batters, six of them with his trademark pitch.
Looking at the bigger picture, Senga has already shown his ceiling in MLB. After signing a five-year, $75 million contract in 2023, he excelled in his debut season with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts, establishing himself as one of the team’s most dominant arms.
Spring as a starting point
MLB Spring Training in 2026 will officially begin on February 20, and it will be there that all eyes will be on Senga. If he can stay healthy, his high-strikeout profile offers him a clear path to once again be an impact starter in the New York rotation.
For the Mets, getting the best version of Kodai Senga back would not only strengthen the pitching staff, but it would also confirm why David Stearns still considers him a reliable piece in the project that seeks to finally lead the club to compete for the World Series.
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