No. 2 starter for the best possible New York Mets rotation in 2024: RHP Kodai Senga
Kodai Senga being the ace of the New York Mets represents everything right and wrong with how this season was in Flushing. First the good, he was an All-Star this season, and deservedly so, as he has been one of the top 10 starting pitchers in the National League this season, with a high strikeout rate and a low ERA. Senga will appear on some ballots for the Cy Young and Rookie of the Year voting at the end of the season. He also proved the Mets can dip into the international market to find immediate help.
The Mets are trying it again this season as they have reportedly scouted Yoshinobu Yamamoto in Japan, who is a few years younger than Senga and has been the best pitcher in his league over the past three seasons.
The bad is that he was not supposed to be their No. 1 starter right now as Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander were both supposed to be ahead of him on the depth chart. Both are now gone, as Scherzer was dealt to the Texas Rangers, and Verlander was shipped back to the Astros. Senga is one of the biggest reasons to watch Mets baseball for the rest of the season, even though their path to the playoffs is cut off by the firesale.