To say Kodai Senga came to the Mets with high expectations would be an understatement. When New York inked the Japanese ace to a five-year, $85 million during their offseason spending spree, there was palpable excitement, especially considering the fact the team hadn’t made such a high-profile signing of an international superstar in quite some time. And with the Justin Verlander signing and Max Scherzer still around, it felt that the pressure wouldn’t be quite so unbearable on Senga, allowing him to slot into the third spot in the club’s stacked rotation.
That plan went sideways with Scherzer struggling and Verlander missing the first month of the season due to injury, forcing Senga to take on a headlining role in the team’s rotation, perhaps earlier than anyone expected.