Mets’ Kodai Senga receives six NL Cy Young votes in rookie season

The Mets have been making waves in the baseball world, especially with rookie standout Kodai Senga garnering attention for his performance in the Cy Young voting.

Recently, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) released the tally for both the American League and National League Cy Young awards. Notably, Yankees ace Gerrit Cole unanimously won in the AL, while the Padres’ Blake Snell secured the honor for the NL.

What caught everyone’s attention was Senga’s performance, as he picked up three third-place and three fourth-place votes to rank seventh overall for a total of 15 points in the Cy Young voting. The Japanese right-hander finished ahead of players like Corbin Burnes and just behind the Phillies’ Zack Wheeler.

Senga had a stellar rookie season, going 12-7 in 29 starts with a 2.98 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. He also recorded an impressive 202 strikeouts in 166.1 innings pitched, earning him a second-place ranking in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, just behind Arizona’s Corbin Carroll.

Notably, Senga is the first Mets rookie to receive a vote for Cy Young since Dwight Gooden placed second in 1984.

It’s worth mentioning that in the previous season, Edwin Diaz also gathered some Cy Young votes, finishing ninth out of 12 pitchers who picked up votes, while Jacob deGrom earned one fifth-place vote in the 2021 Cy Young voting, highlighting the Mets’ continued presence in the conversations surrounding baseball’s top honors.