The New York Mets stayed aggressive in their pursuit of a World Series this offseason, winning the sweepstakes for Japanese right-hander Kodai Senga in a series of moves made to hopefully help get them over the hump. Sunday marked the first time Mets fans would get to see Senga on the bump, and he did not disappoint. Not only were the Mets able to get the win in the debut, but the updated Kodai Senga NL Rookie of the Year odds show he is now among the top favorites to take home the award.
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Kodai Senga NL ROY Odds: Where Mets Righty Stands After Debut
Per BetMGM, Kodai Senga (+800) is now slowly moving up the board after his first start in the MLB. He trails just Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (+350) and Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll (+375). Dodgers infielder Miguel Vargas is tied with Senga at +800.
The 30-year-old Senga inked a five-year $75 Million contract with the Met in the offseason after spending the first portion of his career with the Pacific League’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks. Senga battled through the first inning of his debut, nut settled in to allow just one run on three hits and three walks, striking out eight of 5 1/3 innings of work.
“First inning, definitely a lot of nerves,” Senga said through a translator, per ESPN. “My legs felt like a ghost. Once I got into a little bit of a pinch, I started to settle down and calm myself down.”
Senga showed off his plus velocity throughout the debut, averaging over 95 MPH and reaching up to 99 MPH against the Miami Marlins. His eight K’s was fourth most by a Japanese pitcher in their MLB debut, but the most important aspect was that he was able to notch his first major league win, leading the Mets to a series victory over the NL East rival.
“It was a gradual thing, more step by step,” Senga said. “I got more used to the moment. A lot of guys kept pushing my back, giving me words of confidence.”
Now that Senga has the first one under his belt, he can set his focus on continuing to improve and get more comfortable in his new situation. Based on the latest Kodai Senga NL ROY odds, he is right in the thick of the race with 159 games still remaining in the season.
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