What are the New York Mets getting in the Japanese pitcher? Boardroom explores where he’s been and what he brings to the table.
Once the King of the Nippon Professional Baseball league in Japan, Koudai Senga is ready to begin his reign as the King of Queens.
The Mets continue to rake in top-tier pitchers, and owner Steve Cohen continues to laugh at the MLB’s luxury tax threshold. Amid the Mets’ spending frenzy — one that included a record-breaking contract for Justin Verlander — New York and Senga have reportedly agreed to a five-year, $75 million contract.
Despite losing Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers in free agency, New York still boasts a three-headed monster at the top of the rotation with Verlander, Max Scherzer, and now the 29-year-old Japanese pitcher. The fierce right-hander has a signature pitch called the “Ghost Fork” because of its deceptive nature, a splitter-forkball that disappears from a batter’s view.
So, who is this man with a foreign bag of tricks? Let’s take a look.
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Who Is Koudai Senga?
Age: 29
Bats/throws: Left/right
Birthplace: Gamagori, Aichi, Japan
2022 Stats in the NPB
Record: 11-6
ERA: 1.94 ERA
Strikeouts: 156
Peak Velocity: 101.9
Walks: 27
Innings: 144
He’s a career 87-44 pitcher with 1,252 strikeouts and a 2.59 ERA during his 11-year NPB tenure.
The Repertoire
- Fastball
- Forkball (Ghost Fork)
- Cutter
- Slider
History and Fun Facts
- USA and Japan faced each other during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and Senga threw a scoreless sixth innings in relief to protect a one-run lead, defeating the United States 2-0 in the gold-medal game.
- Senga threw a no-hitter in 2019, striking out 12 batters en route to the 91st no-hitter in NPB history.
- In the same season, Senga won the pitching triple crown with a 2.79 ERA, 227 strikeouts, and 180 1/3 innings.
Koudai Senga Contract & Salary Breakdown
- Years: 5
- Total Value: $75,000,000
- Average Annual Salary: $15,000,000
- UFA: 2028
The Billy Eppler Effect
Mets GM Billy Eppler is probably having the time of his life using the Steve Cohen Company Card, racking up a $475 million bill this offseason alone. Most of his signings look great on paper, but in this case, it’s tricky to gauge how a player’s stats in a foreign league will translate to MLB. This is where Eppler’s track record comes into play.
Over the years, he’s scouted Masahiro Tanaka during his time with the Yankees and signed Shohei Ohtani when he was GM of the Angels. The Mets can only hope that Senga follows their trajectory. If he does, then he will, indeed, become the King of Queens.
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