New Mets acquisition Kodai Senga draws comparisons to MLB superstar: “He’s got Ohtani stuff on the mound”

The Mets' offseason has continued to be unlike any other. The organization announced on Saturday that they had signed Japanese right-hander Kodai Senga to a five-year contract. This came a week after initial rumors of the agreement emerged.

Senga will be able to opt out of the $75 million contract after the 2025 season and will also be given a full no-trade clause.

"Welcome to New York, Kodai! We’ve signed kodaisenga to a five-year contract."

Kodai Senga has all the qualities to be like his teammate from Japan, who represented the Angels this time around. Senga is reminiscent of Shohei Ohtani and throws the baseball with pure gas.

Senga, who turns 30 in January, agreed to a five-year, $75 million contract to join a rotation that already includes Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer. Senga will be unveiled at Citi Field on Tuesday in front of the entire Mets crowd.

Over 1,089 innings during the NPB regular season, Kodai Senga had a 2.59 ERA. Senga started Game 1 in each of those Japan Series games, where he served as the club's ace. From 2017 to 2020, the team won four consecutive Japan Series titles and two Pacific League pennants. The Mets relied on their scouting reports on the right-hander because they lacked any past MLB performances to go by.

Kodai Senga is the new Shohei Ohtani for the league and the Mets

It is not surprising that several organizations were keeping an eye on Kodai Senga, given his potential and the general need for pitching this offseason. Other teams with interest were the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Dodgers, Giants, Mariners, and Padres. Agent Joel Wolfe suggested that as many as a dozen MLB teams had inquired about his client.

Senga had several five- and six-year offers on the table. While he chose to sign a five-year option with the Mets, the opt-out gave Senga the opportunity to reenter the market as he approaches the age-33 season. This will help him to secure a higher salary and a longer contract in the future.

Kodai Senga is a 6-foot, 178-pound pitcher with a 101 mph fastball and a biting splitter. He filed for international free agency on October 31 and was only officially recognized as such.

Senga's fastball has an "exploding" movement, according to FanGraphs. However, his two breaking pitches, a cutter and a slider, are less effective than the fastball and splitter overall, especially when it comes to missing bats.