From Tokyo to Citi Field: Kodai Senga is a key part of baseball's international charge

CNN

a day ago

When Kodai Senga takes the mound at Citi Field, he's not just pitching for the New York Mets. He's part of a rising wave of Japanese talent that's breathing new life into America's pastime – and drawing millions of new eyes on both sides of the Pacific.
In an interview with CNN's Jim Sciutto, the three-time NPB All-Star shared what the transition was like moving from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball.
'Of course, there are differences when playing baseball in a different culture, so I think it's really important to think about it and study it well so that I can take advantage of the good parts of the baseball here (in the United States) and the baseball over there (in Japan),' he told Sciutto.
When asked what the hardest adjustment has been game-wise, Senga said, 'It's definitely the ball, the ball is very different.'
Known for his powerful fastball, the thirty-two-year-old pitcher holds a 7-3 record and 74 strikeouts across 77 innings this season alone. His performance has been instrumental in the Mets' strong pitching lineup – and their current first place standing in the National League East.
And even though he's heading to the injured list with Thursday's hamstring injury, Senga's fast adaptation – and his 1.39 ERA this season – is only one part of a much bigger story: A growing Japan-to-MLB pipeline that's sparking international viewership and cross-cultural tourism.
This season, 12 Japanese players appeared on MLB Opening Day rosters — the highest since 2012. The list includes not only household names like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but fresh faces like Roki Sasaki and Shota Imanaga, who are redefining what a rookie campaign can look like.
The fan bases are also growing in numbers. MLB viewership has spiked on both sides of the Pacific this season: ESPN is up 22%, TBS 16%, and NHK in Japan is also up 22%. During March's Tokyo Series — where the Cubs and Dodgers squared off — over 25 million viewers tuned in, setting a new record for an MLB game broadcast in Japan.
The 'Ohtani Effect' has been well-documented in Los Angeles over the last several years.
Japanese fans frequently flock to Dodger Stadium for a chance to see the dugout, the field, and even embark on Japanese-language tours to get a feel for the behind the scenes of the game.
There are even new waves of tourism going straight to Japan itself.
JapanBall Tours, which takes fans from the U.S. to Japan for NPB games, has seen a 27% jump in social media followers this year and a 31% increase in newsletter subscriptions, according to the New York Times.
When asked if this influx of top talent to the US could hurt the Japanese league, Senga pointed to how change is actually a positive.
'We shouldn't stay the way we are just because things are changing but instead create a system where even if new players leave, the next generation can join in,' Senga said.
It's not just players – the Mets themselves have a long history with Japan. They played in the first MLB Opening Day game overseas in 2000 at the Tokyo Dome. Back in 1996, they became the first team to play in both Japan and Mexico.
When asked if he'd like to finish his career in the US, the MLB all-star said, 'if I could get a long-term contract, that would be my wish.'
Baseball may be the same game in theory – three strikes and you're out – but the cultural nuances are vast. But Senga points out the experience is actually more complementary than conflicting.
'Over here (in the United States) when the excitement hits, the fans cheer loudly, and you can really tell they're here to enjoy the game. While over there (in Japan) they enjoy the cheering itself almost as its own activity, so I think that's a different experience,' he said.
With MLB's international player count at 265 across 18 countries and a growing share of that coming from Japan, the league is poised to raise the level of competition for international players.
For Senga, though, that does not affect his play. When asked if there is pressure to go up against another Japanese player like Ohtani, Senga said, 'I think it's more the media and the people around me that makes a bigger deal that the (opposing) player is Japanese… For the players themselves, it's the same experience, whether you're able to stop the batter or not. So, I don't think it makes a difference.'
And as for life in New York?
'If it's New York, pretty easy', Senga says when asked about finding good Japanese food.
Favorite spot? 'I have several.'