Kodai Senga has started the season strong, boasting a 1.16 ERA over seven games—only slightly behind Max Fried of the Yankees, who has an impressive 1.05. Yet, amidst this success, Senga remains cautious.
“I’m reviewing all the numbers,” Senga reflected through an interpreter before the Mets’ commanding 7-2 win over the Cubs at Citifield on Friday. “I don’t take any statistics lightly; they matter. But honestly, the way I feel on the mound doesn’t always match the numbers.”
He attributes some of his success to luck. “It feels like I’ve had quite a bit of good fortune,” Senga admitted. “If we can keep putting in solid performances all season, we’ll get closer to our true potential.”
Interestingly, Senga recorded a season-high of five walks during a recent game against the Diamondbacks. Nevertheless, he managed to shut them out over six innings.
So far, Senga hasn’t conceded more than two runs in any outing this season. However, he’s also yet to complete more than six innings in a game. Despite any personal frustrations, his performance contributes substantially to the Mets’ stellar ERA, which stood at 2.71 heading into Friday’s game.
He’s issued more walks compared to his rookie year but has kept home runs to a minimum. Interestingly, he has incorporated a more effective forkball this season, enhancing his overall dominance on the mound.
Even though his four-seamer seems to be getting hit harder than last year, his new sinker has been effective. Yet, the key takeaway from last season for Senga might simply be maintaining his health.
He faced challenges last year, making just one regular-season start and only a few brief appearances in the playoffs due to shoulder tension. “I feel great about my health,” he remarked. “I’m really glad to be playing after what happened last year.”
With only one regular-season outing last year cut short by calf issues, Senga expresses confidence that he can remain healthy for the rest of the season. “I’m thankful to be out there. My mindset has shifted towards what I need to do to stay fit,” he noted.
Concerning his impressive ERA so far this season, he remains humble, stating, “I wasn’t thinking about it. This is the second half of the season, and maybe last month, if I had kept performing well, I would’ve felt differently.”
