Photo by Ed Delany of Metsmerized

The concern for the Mets rotation grew with the recent loss of Justin Verlander. With Max Scherzer performing as expected and Tylor Megill coming into fill the gap as needed, all eyes turned to newly signed pitcher, Kodai Senga. On Sunday, Senga made his major league debut and showcased his impressive “ghost forkball.” Additionally, he wore a unique glove featuring an image of a ghost and a pitchfork, which represented his pitch, as the New York Mets secured a 5-1 victory against the Miami Marlins.

After achieving an impressive 87-44 record with a 2.59 ERA in 11 seasons with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the NPL, the 30-year-old right-hander agreed to a lucrative $75 million, five-year contract with the Mets. During yesterday’s outing, he faced some initial challenges in the first inning but managed to hold his ground and only allowed one run, three hits, and three walks throughout 5 1/3 innings.

At the start of the game, Senga seemed to be struggling with feelings of being overwhelmed, nervous, and slightly disoriented. His pitches were off-target, often landing in the dirt, and he also walked two batters and threw a wild pitch. These early struggles caused concern among the Mets’ bullpen, who started to warm up before Senga had even secured an out.

Senga labored, throwing a total of 36 pitches. The first five batters for Miami all reached base, and they managed to reduce their deficit with Jorge Soler‘s RBI double. However, Senga managed to get out of a difficult situation with the bases loaded by striking out Yulieski Gurriel and Jesús Sánchez, before retiring Jon Berti on a line drive to right.

Senga would then settle down and bounced back, only allowing one walk and one hit, while impressively striking out six and on his 88th pitch of the game, Senga managed to strike out Jazz Chisholm Jr. with the patented “ghost fork” pitch, marking the end of his outing and earning himself his first major league win. As he made his way back to the dugout, the numerous Mets fans in attendance at Loan Depot Park cheered for Senga’s impressive first performance.

At the end, he would strike out eight batters over 5 1/3 innings while giving up three hits and one earned run. On his performance, Mets manager Buck Showalter was impressed, stating that “You always look forward to something you’re a little curious about.” Initially being nervous about Senga’s start, Showalter was easily convinced on him, saying he is proud for his seemingly innate talent to adjust to the situations presented before him.

Through an interpreter after the game, Senga openly acknowledged that he had experienced said nerves when he first took to the mound. He described feeling unsteady in his legs, comparing it “like a ghost.” Senga would then go on to note that “Once I got into a little bit of a pinch, I started to settle down and calm myself down.”

During his MLB debut, Senga showcased his impressive skills on the mount, averaging 96.8 mph with 32 fastballs, including one that clocked in at around 99 mph. He also utilized his repertoire of pitches, throwing 26 forkballs, 18 sweepers or slider-curves, and 12 cutters. His performance of eight strikeouts has him tied with Kenshin Kawakami and Masahiro Tanaka for the fourth-highest number of strikeouts by a Japanese pitcher in their MLB debut, with Kazuhisa Ishii and Daisuke Matsuzaka holding the record at 10 strikeouts each, and Hideki Irabu following closely with nine strikeouts.

The New York Mets’ success this season is heavily dependent on the depth and strength of their starting rotation, with established pitchers like Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander leading the charge. However, the team will also require contributions from players such as Kodai Senga, who can help bridge the gap towards the lower end of the rotation and become the third cog in the machine that solidifies the already strong staff. Senga’s impressive performance against Miami is an extremely positive sign, potentially alleviating any concerns raised since the start of camp. For the Mets sake, and Senga’s sake, they can only hope this is the norm and not the exception.