New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) delivers a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Mets must be pleased with Kodai Senga’s start to the 2026 MLB season.
The Japanese right-hander has turned in two solid starts thus far during the early going of the year, and he gets another favorable opportunity to keep it up on Saturday afternoon in Queens.
In just 11 ⅔ innings this season, Senga has punched out a whopping 16 batters.
His 34 percent strikeout rate is the 13th best in baseball among hurlers with at least 10 innings on the mound through Thursday’s play this season.
Senga’s stuff has looked much improved from last season, suggesting he may have finally recovered from the hamstring injury that hampered him much of 2025.
His fastball velocity is up nearly two miles per hour, and he’s getting batters to swing and miss 34.5 percent of the time, which would be a career high.
Senga and the Mets will take on the A’s in the second of a three-game set.
The A’s have been one of the worst hitting teams to date, posting an 88 wRC+ heading into Friday’s game.
Kodai Senga #34 of the New York Mets pitches against the San Francisco Giants in the bottom of the fourth inning at Oracle Park on April 05, 2026 in San Francisco, California. Getty Images Strikeouts have been one of their biggest problems.
Their 28.9 percent strikeout rate is the second-highest in baseball, ahead of only the Angels (29.2 percent).
The Mets also catch a break in avoiding two-time All-Star outfielder Brent Rooker, who tweaked his back in the series finale against the Yankees on Thursday and is expected to miss some time.
The play: Kodai Senga Over 6.5 strikeouts (-105, bet365 Sportsbook)
Dylan Svoboda is a versatile writer and analyst across many sports. He’s particularly knowledgeable about the big three — MLB, the NFL and the NBA.
