Japanese Ace Kodai Senga Files For International Free Agency

Kodai Senga could be the next elite Japanese pitcher to take his talents to Major League Baseball.

One of the best pitchers in Japan could be on his way to the major leagues.

Kodai Senga, a Nippon Professional Baseball star, has filed for international free agency, according to Jason Coskrey of The Japan Times. The 29-year-old does not have to go through the posting process, as he has accrued enough service time to test free agency as he explores the idea of taking his career to the United States.

Senga, a right-hander, has spent 11 seasons with NPB’s Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. He has thrown over 1,000 innings during his time there, registering an 87-44 record, a 2.59 ERA and 1,252 strikeouts thanks to a triple-digits fastball and a lethal splitter. While Senga has struck out 10.3 batters per nine innings, he’s also walked 3.4 hitters per nine innings.

According to FanGraphs’ scouting report, “Senga has incredible arm strength and exploding fastball movement. He also throws enough strikes to start and has four pitches, but neither breaking ball (a low-90s cutter and a low-80s slider) has bat-missing action. His splitter does, though, and the fallback option for Senga is high-leverage relief in which he leans on his fastball and splitter. But Senga's ability to sustain big velo under a starter's workload will probably convince some teams that he can start in the big leagues, and those are the ones likely to offer him the most money.”

Senga is testing his major league market at the perfect time, as he is coming off one of the best seasons of his accomplished career. Senga finished the 2022 season with an 11-6 record and a 1.94 ERA over 144 innings. He struck out 156 batters while walking 49 and tallying a 1.056 WHIP.

With Senga filing, he joins a free agent class that will also likely include Jacob deGrom, Justin Verlander and Carlos Rodón, among other talented starting pitchers.