Kodai Senga’s place with the Mets is suddenly tied to what happens this month.
The right-hander looked like he might be the next front-line arm in Queens when he arrived, and his first season backed that up. In 2023, Senga posted a 2.98 ERA and seemed to give the Mets exactly what they hoped for.
Since then, though, the ride has gone sharply the other way. Injuries, inconsistency, and trouble adjusting to the majors all pushed him backward year after year.
This season got so rough that the Mets had no choice but to pull him from the rotation. As a starter, Senga put up a 9.66 ERA across 31.2 innings before moving into the bullpen. He wasn’t thrilled about the change, but the message was clear: his starting days were done.
The twist is that the move has worked, at least for now. Senga has been excellent in relief, and that has even opened the door to the idea that he could eventually be the team’s closer in 2027.
Since shifting to the bullpen full time, he has allowed two earned runs on six hits with five walks and 12 strikeouts over 10.1 innings. He’s also gone 5-for-5 in save chances, including Monday’s 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays.
It’s not hard to see why the numbers have been so strong. Senga’s fastball and forkball are the kind of two-pitch mix that can play up in short bursts, and if both are working, he can be a nasty inning-eater out of the pen. With one year and $15 million left on his contract, there is at least a path for him to rebuild his value as a late-inning arm.
But the Mets can’t stop at the stat line. Senga still wants to be a starter, and that has to matter in the conversation. There was also reported interest in him at the trade deadline, so a move elsewhere is still a possibility if another team thinks it can put him back in a rotation.
Even more important, he has not yet shown he can be trusted in the kind of role that asks for the same thing night after night. He hasn’t proven he can handle back-to-back days.
His command has wobbled at times. His fastball velocity has also been down.
And while he’s getting results now, those outings have come in low-pressure situations, where the games themselves aren’t carrying the same weight.
That’s why September matters so much. If Senga is going to stick around and salvage his Mets future, he needs to show he can pitch on consecutive days and still be effective.
He needs the velocity to tick back up. He needs to stay in the strike zone.
He also has to keep piling up saves while looking more dependable in those spots.
Devin Williams has not solved the Mets’ closer issue either, after posting a 4.66 ERA and three blown saves in his first year with the team. Still, the answer is not simply swapping Williams out for Senga and calling it fixed. The more realistic path would be for the Mets to bring in another closer and slide both Senga and Williams into setup roles.
What Senga does the rest of the way will shape where he stands with the Mets going forward. His September could go a long way toward deciding what, if any, role he has in 2027.
In Other News...
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McDermott brings a different kind of appeal, but also a familiar kind of uncertainty. He has only limited major league experience, and the early read on him comes with a high ERA and control problems that make it hard to project where he fits in New Yorks plans. With non-tender eligibility approaching, the Mets are left weighing whether this is a depth move with upside or just another arm that may not stay in the picture for long. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Suddenly Have A Real Rotation Debate Around Nolan McLean
Nolan McLean has changed the conversation around the Mets pitching future in a hurry. After a strong second half, he has gone from a promising arm to someone the organization can reasonably pencil into the middle of a serious rotation plan, which is no small thing for a team that has spent plenty of time searching for stability on the mound.
David Stearns is expected to spend the offseason looking for ways to strengthen that staff, and the next step may be bigger than simply adding depth. The Mets are now weighing how a 2027 rotation could take shape around McLean, with the possibility of bringing in an ace via free agency or trade to pair with him and give the group a more defined top end. [Read more 🡒]