Mets' surprise NLDS Game 1 starter could be a problem for Phillies sluggers

With the Philadelphia Phillies ready to square off in the NLDS with the NL East rival New York Mets on Saturday, manager Rob Thomson announced their starting rotation for the first three games of the series.

With Zack Wheeler scheduled to start Game 1 for the Phillies, there were questions about who Mets manager Carlos Mendoza would send to the mound at Citizens Bank Park. With Luis Severino unavailable after pitching in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series on Tuesday, there were rumblings that right-hander Tylor Megill was the leading candidate.

But in his Friday afternoon media availability, Mendoza shockingly announced that right-hander Kodai Senga will be the Mets' Game 1 starter, per MLB.com's Anthony DiComo. The 31-year-old made just one start all season, pitching 5 1/3 innings on July 26, after spending the first four months of the season on the IL with a strained right shoulder. He suffered a strained left calf during the start and missed the rest of the regular season.

Mets' surprise NLDS Game 1 starter Kodai Senga could be a problem for Phillies sluggers

The Phillies have seen Senga before. They faced him twice during his MLB debut season in 2023. Things didn't go exceptionally well.

In the first meeting, at Citi Field last May, Senga baffled Phillies hitters with his array of six pitches, including his infamous "ghost fork" pitch and a high-90s fastball. Over seven innings in a 2-0 Mets win, he allowed just one hit, a single to Kody Clemens, while striking out nine.

In their second matchup three weeks later, Senga pitched into the sixth. The Phillies managed to get some more offense against him, scoring four runs on five hits, although only two of the runs were earned thanks to a first-inning error by center fielder Brandon Nimmo. Senga wasn't as sharp in this one, striking out six over 5 1/3 innings but walking three and uncorking a wild pitch in the Phillies 5-1 win.

While it's hard to take anything away from the team's mixed results from last season, some of the individual numbers against Senga are alarming, despite the small sample size.

Kyle Schwarber must have had trouble seeing the ball out of Senga's hand, as he went 0-for-6 with four strikeouts across the two games. The usually patient slugger didn't even generate a walk.

Trea Turner went 0-for-5 with a strikeout and walk. J.T. Realmuto went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and a walk. Nick Castellanos went 1-for-6 with a pair of punchouts. Bryce Harper only faced Senga in one game, going 1-for-2 with a single, a strikeout and a walk. Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm and Clemens each managed a single against Senga, while Brandon Marsh had the only extra-base hit, a double.

Overall, Senga held the Phillies to a .140 batting average and .354 OPS with 15 strikeouts over his 12 1/3 innings.

As for how long Senga will pitch for, nobody outside of the Mets clubhouse knows. Mendoza was vague in his response when asked what Senga could give the Mets on Saturday, per DiComo, saying, "We're going to let it play out."

There's no telling what Senga will bring to the table in Game 1 of the NLDS, having barely pitched in the majors this season. Whatever Senga's pitch count is, the Phillies will be hoping that the third time's the charm on Saturday.