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Kodai Senga, a well-known Japanese pitcher, is coming to the MLB. The New York Mets have been one of the more active teams when it comes to acquiring pitching talent over the past few years.
Before the 2022 season, they signed pitcher Max Scherzer to a three-year deal worth about $130 million, making him the highest-paid pitcher in history. This year, they signed defending Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander to a two-year, $86 million contract, matching the annual value of Max Scherzer.
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"Kodai Senga and Masahiro Tanaka won the gold medal together for Japan in the 2020 Summer Olympics held in Tokyo. Tanaka pitched in New York with the Yankees from 2014 to 2020." - SNY Mets
The lucrative deals have come in the wake of the 2020 acquisition of the New York Mets by big-time New York financier Steven A. Cohen. Under Cohen, the team has made no bones about signing players to massive, multi-year deals.
The team doubled down in November 2022, when they re-signed star closer Edwin Diaz to a five-year deal worth $102 million, making him the most highly paid reliever in history.
Kodai Senga is a 29-year-old pitcher who plays in Japan's NPB league for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. In his decade-long NPB career, Senga has been an NPB All-Star three times.
Kodai Senga stands at 6-foot-2, making him taller than the vast majority of pitchers in the NPB. He throws a 95-mph fastball that is accentuated by an arsenal of breaking pitches, making him a strikeout-oriented pitcher.
"Kodai Senga, Breaking Ball Movement (home plate view)" - Rob Friedman
Pitching for the Hawks since 2012, Senga has registered over 1,250 strikeouts and a career ERA of 2.59. Senga made clear his intent to sign with an MLB club this offseason, and many suitors expressed their interest.
Senga eventually chose the New York Mets, opting to sign a five-year deal worth $75 million. The team hopes that Senga will be able to round out what is quickly becoming one of the most potent rotations in baseball.
New York Mets expect pitching dominance in 2023 with Kodai Senga, Verlander and others
The New York Mets are still reeling after losing to the San Diego Padres in the 2022 NL Wild Card Series. Despite being identified as the most likely winners of the NL East early in the season, the team did not live up to expectations. With pick-ups like Senga, there is hope that they can change that in 2023.
