New York Mets Phenom Continues to Improve in Rookie Season
After the New York Mets waived the white flag on their season at the MLB Trade Deadline, the focus for the staff and front office was to see which of their young prospects had a bright future at the major league level.
They had four of their prized rookies in the lineup on Tuesday night and they made a major impact in their victory over the division rival Washington Nationals.
However, it's been their most hyped rookie who has delivered throughout the whole season in his first season in the MLB.
The Mets signed phenom pitcher Kodai Senga from Japan with a five-year, $75 million contract. The expectation was that he would come over and boost the top end of a rotation next to Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander.
With that vision falling apart and neither Scherzer nor Verlander on the roster anymore, all eyes have shifted to Senga to be the ace of the future.
MLB.com's Rob Terranova thinks that he has delivered on those expectations, writing, "With all of the ups and downs that the Mets have experienced this season, one thing they could always count on was Senga giving them a chance to win every time he took the hill. The standout righty from Japan not only was named an All-Star in July, but he continues to improve."
Their new ace has a 10-7 record with a 3.08 ERA across 25 starts this season. He's played much better down the stretch and continues to reduce his ERA month to month.
"Over his past five starts, he's yielded two earned runs or fewer four times. He's also improved on his control issues that plagued him earlier in the year, allowing just 11 walks and two home runs over his last five outings," Terranova writes.
It's a great sign for New York to see their young phenom continue to grow in his rookie season. He continues to show that he can be a high-level pitcher at the top of a rotation.
