Kodai Senga's fastball reaches 99 mph, regaining confidence: "I feel like a starting pitcher again."

Late last summer, Kodai Senga admitted his condition was a mess. For a year and a half, he suffered from shoulder, calf, and hamstring injuries, completely disrupting his pitching mechanics. When standing on the mound, he lacked confidence, his mind filled with thoughts about arm positioning, torso rotation, and leg drive, leaving no room for anything else.

Today at Busch Stadium, a different Kodai Senga emerged from the visitors' dugout—a pitcher freed from constraints. He no longer dwelled on the minutiae of pitching mechanics; he simply walked onto the mound and pitched.

It wasn't perfect; in the Mets' 0-3 loss to the Cardinals, Senga allowed eight solid hits and gave up two runs. Yet this start was encouraging: the All-Star-level Kodai Senga, the pitcher once thought possibly gone forever, seemed truly back.

“This is a good start to the new season,” Senga said via translator Hiro Fujiwara. “Being able to stand on the mound and think, ‘What is this hitter thinking? What are they waiting for? What won’t they swing at?’ makes me excited for the season. It feels good to pitch like this. I’m thrilled.”

Senga added, “I feel like a starting pitcher again.”

All-Star-caliber pitching was clearly evident. Senga’s fastest pitch reached 99.2 mph, the fifth-fastest in his MLB career. He induced 17 swings-and-misses, using seven different pitches, including his signature “ghost forkball.” Catcher Luis Torrens called it “his baby,” with four swings-and-misses coming from that forkball.

“That’s his pitch,” Torrens said. “It’s always reliable.”

The Cardinals also gave Senga some trouble, scoring two runs in the third inning with three consecutive hits, two of which had exit velocities over 103 mph, including Iván Herrera’s 107.4 mph double that drove in both runs. All three hits came on pitches thrown right down the middle. Senga also issued three walks, but he generated many quick outs, maintaining pitching efficiency—a longstanding issue even when he was at his best.

Overall, Senga pitched six innings, allowing four hits, three walks, two runs, and striking out nine. This was his highest single-game strikeout total since 2024, and his pitch count reached 92 today.

“He was really outstanding today,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “The velocity was there from the first pitch. He maintained that speed throughout the game… It’s thrilling.”

This was Senga’s first MLB appearance since the Mets sent him down to Triple-A last September. After his All-Star rookie season in 2023, Senga faced consecutive shoulder and calf injuries, starting only one game in 2024. During his recovery attempts, he struggled with pitching mechanics—a theme that persisted throughout his injury-plagued 2025 season.

This spring training, Senga arrived healthy, with his velocity back at 99 mph. His performance in the Grapefruit League was the most dominant among Mets pitchers, securing a firm spot in the starting rotation.

“This guy wants to be a great pitcher,” Mets pitching coach Justin Willard said before the game. “You saw it in his first year, then a few injuries derailed him. But he wants to be great, he wants to be the best pitcher in baseball. He’ll give everything for that.”

Now, with Freddy Peralta and Nolan McLean leading the Mets rotation, they don’t need Senga to be the best pitcher; they just need him healthy. Mendoza noted that if Senga stays healthy, he should replicate this performance. And if Senga can sustain this level, the Mets are likely to win when he starts.

“When he pitches like that, it’s really special,” Torrens said. “We need him too. This is a good start. Even though we lost, this was his first start this year? Really, very good.”