After the magic of 2023, where Kodai Senga emerged as an All-Star and a Cy Young Award finalist, it’s understandable that New York Mets fans held onto hope for a similar, or even better, 2025. His initial season performance, before a hamstring strain sent him to the injured list, seemed to be building toward that reality. His ERA was low, and the ghost fork was as unhittable as ever.
But since his return, the Senga on the mound has been a far cry from the pitcher who mesmerized baseball just a year ago. The recent conversations about a potential minor league demotion, while a last-ditch effort to "get right," must be met with a cold, hard dose of reality.