The same reason Kodai Senga must remain the NY Mets closer in 2026, Devin Williams shouldn’t

One of the more surprising developments of the second half has been Kodai Senga's emergence back into relevance, doing so by converting from the rotation to the bullpen. With Luke Weaver shipped out at the trade deadline and Devin Williams hitting the injured list with a shoulder strain, the 2023 All-Star has stepped into the New York Mets' closer role and flourished, pitching to a 2.45 ERA since the deadline.

And, truth be told, even that undersells the impact he's made as a high-leverage reliever. Prior to Tristan Peters' walk-off homer on Aug. 23 (that narrowly escaped A.J. Ewing's glove in center field), he had a 1.29 ERA in the first three weeks after Weaver was dealt. His strikeout stuff is back at an elite level, and opposing hitters, save for Peters, haven't been able to generate a lot of quality contact off him.

Even as Williams continues to express a desire to return to the mound before the regular season is over (no exact timeline has been given), it's clear that Senga has more than earned the opportunity to handle the responsibilities of being a closer down the stretch.

Kodai Senga deserves this shot at redemption, meaning Devin Williams might need to swallow some pride

With both pitchers under contract through at least 2027 (and possibly 2028, if Senga's club option is exercised), there's no doubt about who will be the Mets' high-leverage duo in the near future. What is a question is which role both players will fill.

Williams has been a closer dating back to 2022, racking up 99 saves over the past five seasons. He's experienced plenty of success while handling the pressures of the ninth inning, pitching to a 2.88 ERA and holding hitters to a .576 OPS in the final frame throughout his career. Even though he's slowed down quite a bit over the past two years in New York, his track record in the role is undeniable.

As Senga dominates, though, it's possible that Williams may need to accept a "demotion" back to being a set-up man. He's held that job in the past -- primarily for Josh Hader in Milwaukee -- and he's actually been just as good in the eighth inning as the ninth, recording a 2.99 ERA and .533 opponent's OPS. There's pride at play here that could turn this situation a little ugly, but the Mets need to figure out if he's willing and able to effectively perform like a set-up man again.

It should also go without saying that we need more time with this Senga-as-the-closer experiment before anyone should be ready to consider his tenure salvaged. It was mere months ago that we were all bracing for his inevitable DFA over the offseason, practically begging the front office to find a way to get him off this team.

As such, no one should be interested in disrupting his redemption arc, even if it means making Williams one of the most expensive non-closer relievers in baseball.

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