After losing to the cross-town rival New York Yankees on Wednesday, the New York Mets were looking to bounce back against the Washington Nationals for their series opener on Thursday. Luckily, the Mets had standout rookie pitcher Kodai Senga on the mound against their division rival, and he did not disappoint.
The first two innings were smooth sailing for Senga, as he did not allow a hit. While he ran into some trouble in the third inning with a single and a walk, he was able to strike out Nationals’ outfielder Lane Thomas to escape the situation.
Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Since this was Omar Narváez‘s first time catching for Senga, the battery mates ran into some chemistry issues. When Senga struck out infielder Jeimer Candelario to start the fourth inning, Narváez was unable to handle the elusive ghost forkball, which allowed Candelario to reach base on the wild pitch. Senga was able to escape that inning unscathed.
Besides the wild pitch, Senga’s forkball was once again his most effective pitch on Thursday, as he generated seven whiffs on 15 swings, which equates to a whiff percentage of 47%. This pitch continues to be a revelation for the rookie, and it is certainly living up to its big name.
The only damage came in Senga’s final inning when catcher Keibert Ruiz hit a sacrifice fly that scored the Nationals’ only run.
His final line: 6 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
Overall, Senga threw 99 pitches, with the cutter being the most prevalent pitch he used. He was able to generate three whiffs and six called strikes out of the 33 times he used his primary pitch, which gives him a CSW% (called strike + whiff percentage) of 27%.
This quality start marks his sixth straight outing in which he has allowed two or fewer runs. In addition, he has a 2.47 ERA over his previous eight starts, and his 3.17 ERA for the season ranks fourth in the National League.
When looking at the Mets’ trajectory for the rest of the season, it is no secret that the cards are stacked against them. The team seems destined for a trade deadline fire sale, as indicated by the announcement that they traded closing pitcher David Robertson following the victory.
That said, Senga is not to blame for the team’s failure, as he has done his job at an exceptional level when his name has been called. This is why his outstanding rookie campaign should not be overlooked when evaluating the 2023 season. It would not be outlandish to say that Senga has established himself as a premier candidate for the 2023 National League Rookie of the Year Award as one of the lone bright spots on this team.
