Sean Manaea has earned a NY Mets Opening Day start but this is why it should be Kodai Senga

Being the Opening Day starting pitcher is a special honor, exclusive to the best of the best to kick off the 162-game slate. The New York Mets club of previous pitchers to get the ball for game one includes Jose Quintana, Tylor Megill, Bartolo Colon, Dillon Gee, Jon Niese, and Mike Pelfrey!

Kodai Senga should take the hill for the New York Mets on Opening Day in Houston.

While nothing more than ceremonial, it is a start usually reserved for the ace. The Mets need an ace in 2025, and that’s Senga. He was on track to be the Opening Day starter last March and he should get the same treatment this year. Senga’s 2.98 ERA in 2023 was ace material and hopefully a start on March 27th in Houston will set the tone for his season.

Carlos Mendoza told reporters in Port St. Lucie that Senga hit 96 MPH in his first live batting practice of spring training. SNY reported that Senga showed up to camp feeling 100% healthy. In 2024 he was only able to make one start in regular season before making three appearances in the postseason.

If you want to argue that Sean Manaea should get the nod Opening Day, no one will blame you. More often than not that start is a reward for the previous season’s work and during the team’s run to the NLCS, few players both on and off the field were more valuable.

Manaea should start the second game against the Astros which would put him in line for the home opener a week later.

Manaea quickly became a fan favorite in 2024. eventually taking home BBWAA ‘Good Guy’ award. The two lasting images that I will always remember from the postseason run are Manaea rocking the rally cap in Milwaukee right before Alonso’s go-ahead home run and primal scream he let out after the sixth inning double play in game three against the Phillies. His 3.47 ERA led the team and Manaea was exceptionally good after telling NJ.com he lowered his arm angle mid-season. FanGraphs projects that the lefty will make 33 starts with a 4.17 ERA in 2024.

The home opener at Citi Field with be packed with fans filled with hope and expectation for what’s to come. Manaea deserves to take the mound to a thunderous roar after choosing to return to Queens after the best season of his career.