94.8 miles per hour.

That number represents a warning light flashing on the dashboard. It is a full 1.1 mph drop from where Kodai Senga’s fastball sat during his debut season in 2023, and in the world of high-leverage pitching, losing a tick on your heater is often the first step off a cliff. The New York Mets have already shown they have zero interest in holding onto depreciating assets this winter.

We saw it Sunday. President of Baseball Operations David Stearns looked at the calendar, saw Brandon Nimmo’s contract running until 2030, and shipped him to Texas for Marcus Semien just to get the books in order. It was a cold, calculated move to escape a deal that was aging poorly.

Now, the crosshairs should be firmly fixed on Senga.

The Illusion of the ERA

If you just glance at the back

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