Can Kodai Senga be Mets' next ace?
Right-hander Kodai Senga is in line for a promotion — one he'll have to accept whether he likes it or not.
The New York Mets waved the white flag on the 2023 season and perhaps beyond, opting to tear down their current roster and exchange veteran players and cash for young prospects.
Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, the three-time Cy Young award winners brought in on the richest contracts for starting pitchers in MLB history, were traded to the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros, respectively. David Robertson, Mark Canha, Dominic Leone and Tommy Pham were also traded.
The shocking fire sale leaves a gaping hole in the front end of the Mets' now-desolate pitching rotation — and reinforcements aren't coming any time soon, by the sound of it.
Following his trade to the Rangers, Scherzer divulged the Mets' plan for the future to The Athletic, claiming the team did not intend on going for it all next season.
"I talked to [GM] Billy [Eppler]," Scherzer told The Athletic. "I was like, 'OK, are we reloading for 2024?' He goes, 'No, we're not. Basically our vision now is for 2025-2026, '25 at the earliest, more like '26. We're going to be making trades around that.'
"I was like, 'So the team is not going to be pursuing free agents this offseason or assemble a team that can compete for a World Series next year?' He said, 'No, we're not going to be signing the upper-echelon guys. We're going to be on the smaller deals within free agency. '24 is now looking to be more of a kind of transitory year.'"
Eppler seemingly seconded Scherzer's comments Tuesday, informing reporters that the Mets will not have as high expectations in 2024 but plan to "field a competitive team."
The starting pitching staff now consists of Senga, José Quintana, Carlos Carrasco, David Peterson and Tylor Megill — a far cry from the formidable rotation New York trotted out in spring training. But among the group of ailing veterans and struggling Triple-A pitchers, Senga shines as a future ace to build around.
Senga came to the Mets during the offseason with a reputation for having a great pitch arsenal but questionable command. Entering play Wednesday, the Japanese right-hander boasts a 7-5 record and 3.17 ERA and only seems to be getting better as his first season in the MLB progresses.
On the heels of being named an NL All-Star team replacement, Senga turned in one of his best months on the mound for July, recording a 1.93 ERA over four starts and 23.1 innings pitched. His 31.9% K% and 7.7% BB% for the month were improvements from his season averages, showing he's steadily increasing his strikeouts while lessening his walks.
The 30-year-old has also proven his ability to alter his pitch usage to generate more swings and misses, recently lessening his use of the four-seam fastball in favor of his signature "Ghost Fork."
If nothing else, the remainder of the Mets 2023 season will be an opportunity for Senga to prove if he's capable of headlining a rotation in the MLB. Judging by the early results, the chances look promising.
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