Kodai Senga made his first goal of 2026 crystal clear as spring training officially began on Wednesday.
“To not get injured.”
The New York Mets’ 32-year-old right-hander has everything to prove entering a new season after his last two years were destroyed by the injury bug. He was limited to just 5.1 regular-season innings in 2024 and was significantly hindered when he got back for the team’s postseason run to the NLCS.
Last summer, he was cruising to the tune of a 1.47 ERA through his first 13 starts of the year before suffering a strained hamstring while trying to reel in an errant Pete Alonso throw while trying to cover first base. After a month-long absence, he was never the same, as his mechanics had gotten so out of whack that he accepted a demotion to Triple-A in September, where he spent the rest of the campaign.
“These past two years have been frustrating and tough mentally,” Senga said through his translator. “At some points, maybe I started to lose confidence. In this world, it’s either you do it, or you don’t, and I’m here to do it, and that’s all there is.”
President of baseball operations David Stearns made it clear that he can’t trust Senga to make 30-plus starts moving forward. Then came the trade rumors that the Mets were shopping the righty despite his desire to stay in Queens. Nothing ever materialized, and so begins another opportunity to cement his place as a top-tier starter in blue and orange.
“At the end of the day, I can only control what I can control,” Senga said. “At that point, I hadn’t gotten traded yet, so I just wanted to do whatever I could in that moment and be back out there for the Mets and play hard.”
When healthy and right, Senga’s brilliance is undeniable. His vaunted ghost forkball is one of the best putaway pitches in the game, and there was no indication of opposing batters figuring it out anytime soon. The full scope of just how good he could be was apparent in his first year with the Mets after making the jump from Japan in 2023. He went 12-7 with a 2.98 ERA and 202 strikeouts in just 166.1 innings pitched.
If he can regain that touch, the top of the Mets’ rotation looks as good as any in the majors alongside new ace Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean.
“I have a spot to get and be out there and perform,” Senga said. “As long as I’m given this opportunity, I’m going to give it my all and give it my all for this organization.”
