If the New York Mets want to return to the postseason in 2026, one of the players they’ll need to improve is starting pitcher Kodai Senga. Moreover, the 33-year-old is providing promising outings in spring training with Opening Day only a few days away.
Senga has made three appearances on the mound for the Mets in spring training, going 9 2/3 innings while posting a 1.86 ERA, a 0.72 WHIP, and striking out 11 batters, per MLB.com.
As a result, New York hopes that this production from Senga in the spring can carry over to the regular season and help the Mets have a bounce-back campaign after missing the playoffs in 2025.
The veteran right-hander is coming off a challenging 2025 season in which the injury bug derailed what was a solid start to the campaign. Senga had a record of 7-6 with an ERA of 3.02 and 109 strikeouts in 22 appearances in 2025, per StatMuse.
Nonetheless, Mets star Juan Soto is backing Senga and giving the veteran a confidence boost as the pitcher looks to stay healthy in 2026 and be one of the reasons why New York finds itself back in the postseason later this fall.
“That’s our ace,” Soto told reporters on March 19 (h/t SNY). “If he stays healthy, he’s going to help the team go all the way. He has the stuff to do it. He’s got to try to keep himself in the game.”
Mets’ Kodai Senga Talks Spring Training Performance
While Senga is performing well in the preseason, he knows that this production needs to carry over to the regular season. As a result, the Mets standout is taking his performances with a grain of salt, as the real thing begins for him in a few days.
“Obviously, I’m still adjusting, and so are the hitters,” Senga said through his interpreter (h/t SNY). “So the results are the results, and I take them with a grain of salt. But if you look at the metrics of the pitches that I’m throwing, I think that does translate into the season.
“Some are good, some are not as good, but compared to previous years, I feel like I am performing at a higher level. So I’m just going to keep it up for the season.”
Kodai Senga Looks to Stay Healthy for New York
The Mets improved their starting rotation with the arrival of Freddy Peralta, and the team will expect young starters like Nolan McLean to take another step in their development as he heads into his second season.
Still, the main focus regarding New York’s starting rotation is whether Senga can stay healthy throughout the season.
“As long as I’m healthy and I’m able to pitch my pitches, pitch to my ability, I think the results, they come along with that,” Senga added via his interpreter (h/t SNY).
“So I’m striving for that, and that’s what I’m here to do. I came from Japan to the States to do that. Things aren’t always going to go my way, but if that happens, I’ll grind out there, and hopefully the results come.”
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