The red-hot Seattle Mariners came rolling into Queens on Friday night looking to separate themselves in the American League West. Mets ace Kodai Senga took the mound in hopes of keeping this Mariners team in check and continuing his own strong rookie campaign.

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Senga, who was fantastic in his last outing on August 25 against the Los Angeles Angels was able to turn up the heat a bit higher on Friday night. He matched his career-high with 12 strikeouts. He was dominant through the night, his only blemish coming from a J.P. Crawford solo blast in the fourth inning. Unfortunately for Senga, the Mets’ offense didn’t wake up until the late innings, leaving Senga with a no-decision after seven strong innings.

Senga has shown how great he can be at the highest level once again for the Mets. One of the most noticeable feats lately has been his ability to work deep into the game and keep his pitch count low, even while striking out double-digit batters. This was something he struggled with earlier in the year despite solid numbers. He is improving with each start he makes in his young MLB career.

He moved to third on the list for most strikeouts by a Mets rookie pitcher in franchise history on Friday night. While it’s unlikely he’ll catch up to Dwight Gooden‘s rookie record, he has impressed nonetheless. After his 12-strikeout performance, Senga pulled within two strikeouts of Jerry Koosman (178) for the second-most strikeouts by a Mets rookie.

To no one’s surprise, Senga’s signature ghost forkball was a huge reason for his career performance. It has been his best put-out pitch all season and has looked sharper as the season progresses. The Mets’ down year might be overshadowing Senga’s success, but there’s no doubt that his ghost forkball is one of the best pitchers in the entire league. His ghost fork has a 60.4% whiff rate this season, ranking among some of the best in the game.

 

Friday night’s outing was another footnote in a dominant season for Senga. The start lowered his ERA to 3.08, which is the third-best in the National League and the sixth-best in the majors. With Corbin Carroll (133 OPS+) cooling off, Senga (135 ERA+) could run away with the NL Rookie of the Year award in the last month of the season.

Senga has been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing year for the Mets and their fanbase. He may just be the Mets ace heading into 2024 and beyond. If he continues to pitch like he has, the Mets will definitely get their money’s worth out of his contract.