Kodai Senga’s 2025 season got off to a fantastic start and he looked very much like the ace from his rookie season. When he injured his hamstring on June 12 covering first base he owned a sparkling 1.47
ERA which was the best in major leagues at the time. His main issues in the beginning were both a higher walk rate and shorter appearances, adding to the strain on the Mets’ bullpen. The walks were especially concerning since he was walking an average of 3.79 batters per nine innings.
While those were areas of mild concern, they seemed like manageable issues; even with them, Senga was a major factor in why the team got off to a great start. On June 12, when Pete Alonso’s errant throw made him catch the ball awkwardly, a feeling of dread overcame the fanbase. The team won the day Senga got injured to improve their record to 45-24 but now it seemed they would be without their ace for a significant length of time. They did get some good news when it was revealed it was only a mild hamstring strain, so Senga only missed about a month before returning.
Unfortunately for the Mets June 12 could also be pinpointed as the day it all went wrong not only for Senga, but for the team as a whole. From June 13-July 10 with Senga sidelined, the team went 8-17 and had a team ERA of 5.83, second worst in the league over that time period, second only to the Nationals. When Senga returned on July 11, the team did not improve much. They went 30-38 in their last 68 games with a team ERA of 4.64, good for 25th in baseball. It was a stark contrast to the incredible pitching the team got at the beginning of the season and one of the major reasons why they were on the outside looking in at the playoffs when the season ended.
As for Senga, he was never the same after his injury. After he returned he went 0-3 in nine starts and had a 5.90 ERA in those starts. The team eventually demoted him to Triple-A to try and get him right but he had some uneven appearances with Syracuse, which led to questions if he could be relied upon should they reach the playoffs.
The Mets never had to address the playoff question, but there are some concerns surrounding Senga’s future with the team. He has had two injury-plagued seasons in a row and his second half cost the teams games they needed to win in order to keep playing in October. His devastating ghost fork is still so tantalizing when it is going right and the potential is still there when he is healthy. He is someone that is very concerned with his mechanics so perhaps a new pitching coach can unlock something in him that previously went overlooked. He is owed $30 million over the next two seasons so the team has little choice but to work with him and see if he can recapture his
Still, the team should probably look into acquiring starting pitching this offseason since the outlook remains cloudy for Senga and the rest of the rotation. Sean Manaea had a shaky season, Jonah Tong showed flashes of brilliance but also did appear ready for the big leagues, Christian Scott is coming off Tommy John, and both David Peterson and Clay Holmes regressed by season’s end. Only Nolan McLean was a positive by the time everything was said and done. This team cannot rely on what has been David Stearns’s MO the past two seasons which is rebuild a rotation with pitchers with high upside. It worked in 2024 but it did not work in 2025. They need established major league starters to stabilize this rotation like Dylan Cease. Of course there is always Tarik Skubal should Detroit be willing to part with their Cy Young winner.
If Senga returns to form next season that would be huge for this team’s playoff aspirations but until he can show that he can stay healthy and productive for an entire season David Stearns will need to have a plan B at the ready.
