Kodai Senga struggles with pitch clock in Mets exhibition debut
Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga of Japan throws during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Sunday, March 5, 2023, in Jupiter, Fla. Credit: AP/Lynne Sladky
JUPITER, Fla. — Upon completing his first start with his new team in a new country, Kodai Senga cited one variable above all others that required the greatest adjustment. And it wasn’t the baseballs or the mound or the weather or the other factors that are different here from his native Japan.
Senga had a hard time with the element every pitcher is getting used to this spring training: the pitch clock. He blamed the timer — 15 seconds with the bases empty, 20 seconds otherwise — for the early difficulty, including walking his first two batters, before he settled in.
His final line included 42 pitches (24 strikes) in two innings in the Mets’ 7-1 exhibition win over the Cardinals. He struck out two and allowed one hit, a home run.
“I thought if I had more time to spare at the end, I can get settled in. But I ended up rushing everything, including my mechanics,” Senga said through an interpreter. “I see five on the pitch clock and I feel very rushed. But in reality five seconds is quite a long time. So just getting used to that.”
Francisco Lindor described the clock as being “a little in [Senga’s] head.”
Manager Buck Showalter downplayed the issue, noting that Senga rushing is fixable. “Slowing him down is a lot easier than speeding him up,” he said.
The hairy first inning began with walks to Brendan Donovan and Tyler O’Neill, which brought up defending National League MVP Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.
Senga called himself “amped up” and said he “felt like I was floating a little bit.”
Goldschmidt, ahead 3-and-0 in the count, took an iffy called strike before popping out to shortstop. Arenado flied out to right.
The frame went on so long that the Mets had a minor-league reliever warming up, and Showalter thought he might have to pull Senga mid-inning.
He ultimately escaped the jam by getting Jordan Walker — a premier outfield prospect who is pushing for a major-league job at 20 years old — to strike out swinging on his signature splitter.
“Obviously a very good lineup they have over there, especially the three-hole, four-hole,” Senga said. “Before I got up there, I was very excited to face those guys. But once I was up there, my mind was kind of filled with the pitch clock and I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted to.”
Tres Barrera homered in what otherwise was an easier second inning.
“Before today, I would have taken that outing for sure,” Showalter said. “He showed everything that we were hoping to see. It was a good first outing for him. I know it was a big moment for him.”
Senga, though, was displeased.
Asked if he was happy with how it went, he said: “It was a good experience for me, battling the pitch clock a little bit. Playing with it in a new environment was a good experience for me.”
Asked if anything felt sharp, he paused to think for several seconds before saying: “Nothing in particular was that great. But just something to work on for next time.”
Showalter accepted that mindset.
“He handled himself emotionally really well,” he said. “A lot of good pitchers are chasing perfection all the time. I can’t say I know him well enough to really comment on [Senga being unsatisfied]. Ask me in a couple of months, I’ll have a pretty good feel for it. He’s got a lot of pride, I can tell you that.”
Sunday concluded a stretch in which the Mets got a glimpse of one of the reasons they think they’ll be very good this season: Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander and Senga — their top three projected starters — pitching on consecutive days.
On Friday, Senga stuck around Clover Park after his workout to observe Scherzer against the Nationals. He was curious about Scherzer’s approach to the pitch clock but ended up inspired.
“Just watching him, I was able to see how great of a pitcher he is,” Senga said. “It gave me a goal to work toward.”
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
