Among the many acquisitions made by the New York Mets this offseason, Japanese right-hander Kodai Senga may be the most intriguing.
The Mets inked the five-time Japan Series champion to a five-year $75M deal in December to be the team’s third starter. While New York could have a third ace in its rotation if he pans out, there’s no guarantee his transition to MLB will be smooth.
Last week, Senga threw 52 pitches in his first bullpen session of spring training. It wasn’t his sharpest outing, as he’s still getting acclimated to the feel of MLB baseballs, despite touching 96 MPH on the radar gun. Against live hitters on Sunday, the results were different.
Facing off against his new teammates, including SS Francisco Lindor and first baseman Pete Alonso, Senga unleashed his patented “ghost fork” pitch.
Named for its incredible downward movement, the “ghost fork” is more of a splitter than a forkball based on the pitch’s grip, although it’s considered a forkball in Japan.
