Kodai Senga shaping up to be wild card of Mets’ rotation in 2026

Kodai Senga has gone from a prime trade candidate to someone that the New York Mets are cautiously optimistic about returning to top-tier form in 2026.

The 32-year-old right-hander has been sabotaged by injuries in each of the last two years. He appeared in just five regular-season innings in 2024 and then had an All-Star-caliber start to last season destroyed by a hamstring injury that he suffered while leaping to reel in a high Pete Alonso throw while covering first base during a June game against the Colorado Rockies.

With a 1.47 ERA through his first 13 starts of the year, Senga was a shell of himself upon his return after a month on the shelf. He posted a 5.90 ERA in his final nine starts before accepting a demotion to the minors in September to work on his mechanics in hopes of being ready for the very end of the season.

That never happened, prompting president of baseball operations David Stearns to say on Sept. 30 that it would be “foolish” to rely on him for 30 starts in 2026.

However, Stearns and the Mets have been remarkably quiet when it comes to addressing their starting rotation this winter, despite it being the primary reason they collapsed and missed the postseason. Nolan McLean looks like he’s going to be an ace after his two-month MLB debut and Clay Holmes is a solid mid-rotation option.

But Sean Manaea was not the same after dealing with an oblique injury in spring training, and David Peterson’s second half was a nightmare after being selected to the All-Star Game. Senga had spent most of the offseason back home in Japan before returning to the United States where he worked out at Tread Athletics in North Carolina.

Stearns and the Mets appear to be happy with what they are seeing.

“We had a bunch of folks, both pitching and performance department, go down and see him,” Stearns said (h/t MLB.com). “He’s well ahead of where he was last year. We’ve got two years of injury history there over the last couple of years, and so I’m not gonna sit here and proclaim that he’s a sure thing to make 30 starts. But, I also am more optimistic about where he is right now compared to where I was at the end of last season. He’s had a very productive, very good offseason.”

A healthy, clicking Senga provides the Mets with another ace-worthy arm. They got a first-hand look at it during his rookie season in 2023, where he went 12-7. with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts. He finished seventh in the NL Cy Young Award voting and second in the Rookie of the Year race.

It also takes significant pressure off a rotation that has a lot to prove in 2026, though an addition still should be atop Stearns’ list of priorities. The Mets have been linked with two of the top remaining left-handed pitchers on the market in Framber Valdez and Rangers Suarez.

For more on Kodai Senga and the Mets, visit AMNY.com