Kodai senga Earns All Star Nod in First Season

After struggling in his early starts, Senga has settled in and earned his first All Star nomination on Saturday (Photo by Lynne Sladky, AP)

The Mets earned another All Star representative in Seattle on Saturday. With the MLB announcing new reserves for injured and opt-out participants, Kodai Senga was announced as one of four new members of the National League squad, replacing Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman.

Senga will join first baseman Pete Alonso in representing the Mets at the festivities, who will also be participating in this year’s Home Run Derby on Monday.

Senga has emerged as a solid piece in the Mets’ rotation in 2023. After signing as a free agent this offseason, Senga has a 7-5 record with a 3.31 ERA in 16 starts.

Although his numbers on the surface are impressive, it’s been a windy road to this point. After winning his first two starts, command became an issue as he conistently walked three or four batters a game. As a result, his innings were hampered considerably, only going as deep as six innings in his first nine starts.

His most recent outing saw him hurl eight innings of one run ball in a dominant outing (Photo by Ross D. Franklin, AP)

However, since his May 24 start against the Cubs, Senga has pitched some of his best games. Highlights include seven strong innings against the Phillies and Pirates, as well as eight brilliants innings in a win over the Diamondbacks.

Although command can still be an issue at times, he sits in a tie in third for walks in baseball with 47, the talent has started to come together. With his well-known “ghost fork” stealing the show at its best, Senga has begun to adjust to American baseball, and the results are proof of that.

While the Mets have still be one of the biggest disappointments in baseball, sitting at 42-48 at the break, Senga has developed into a solid option for their rotation and earned his surprise yet deserved nod.