Why was Kodai Senga sent to the Minor Leagues?

Aaron Gandia
Sep 5
1 min read

As of Friday, September 5th, New York Mets starter Kodai Senga was demoted to Triple-A. In 15 starts to begin his season, Senga posted a 1.47 ERA (Earned Run Average) and was expected to be an All-Star. However, he fell victim to a right hamstring strain that knocked him out for a month. Ever since his activation, he's posted a 6.56 ERA in eight starts.

His poor ERA after being activated is a plausible reason for his demotion, but many other underlying metrics suggest this was the right move. He's walked an average of 11.4% of batters faced, which ranks in the 9th percentile according to Statcast. His fastball velocity has decreased from 95.7 MPH in 2023 (his last full season) to 93.7 MPH. This has led to less effectiveness on his fastball, as it has a .543 slugging percentage.

Despite the underlying signs of regression, his season isn't completely lost. He still owns a 3.02 ERA and a 4.13 FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching), which is less encouraging. Most of his pitches are the same as they were two years ago, other than a new sinker that opponents are hitting over .300 against.

Senga's demotion is best served for him, and he will continue to pitch in Triple-A with the hopes he rebounds performance-wise and positively impacts the team later this season. With the immense amount of young pitching the Mets have at Triple-A, it gave them breathing room to make this decision.