The Mets are sitting 6.5 games back of the division-leading Phillies in the NL East with a 67–59 record, so their shot at the division title looks slim. But they’re still hanging around in the Wild Card race. The problem, though is that they are behind the Cubs and Padres, and they just took a major hit in the second game against the Nationals. All thanks to a rough outing from their ace, the $75 million name, Kodai Senga.

Well, the Mets came in riding some momentum after beating the Mariners and then taking the opener against the Nationals. But in Game 2, Senga just didn’t have it. He lasted only five innings, giving up five hits, four earned runs, and striking out just four. And by the time the fifth inning ended, the Mets were already down 1–5.

Yes, they did manage to spark a rally in the sixth with three runs, but with their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, Senga’s rough outing couldn’t have come at a worse time. And fans aren’t taking it lightly.

Notably, in the NL Wild Card race, the Cubs are leading with 72 wins, followed by the Padres with 70 wins. Now, the Mets, standing with 67 wins, can’t afford any more losses to keep their playoff hope alive. And in this situation, the team’s elite pitchers’ meltdown is not something anyone would expect. And surely not from someone who is having a 3-1 record with an ERA of 3.28 and 48 SOs in his last 10 games!

The fans are wondering if the Mets can hold onto their spot in the Wild Card race from this situation. Winning the division is miles away for now.

Kodai Senga gets called out by the Mets fans

The fans are calling out Senga for his struggles, especially in the second game against the Nationals. But they are kind enough to acknowledge what he was before his injury. “Kodai Senga is absolutely embarrassing right now. He can’t pitch ever since he came back from the hamstring injury,” one fan commented.

Well, Senga has a 2.35 ERA in 2025 overall, but let’s take a deep dive into his stats post-hamstring injury. Since his comeback in July, Senga has posted a 6.18 ERA till the first week of August. He has given up 11 runs from 16 innings pitched. That’s enough said about his struggles post-injury. “Senga has been simply an awful pitcher for us since his injury,” another fan added.

But is Senga truly an ace for the Mets? One X user seemed to be betting more on David Peterson over Senga as the Mets’ future: “Kodai Senga is a good pitcher, but he’s no ace. He’s basically a solid #3 pitcher. He’s also fragile both physically and mentally. The Mets’ future ace is probably at AAA. McLean would be next. Peterson is a solid #3 as well. The rest are backend starters, at best.”

Where Peterson has an edge over Senga right now is in terms of durability and coming through in big moments. His eight-inning, one-run gem against the Nationals on Tuesday was one of his sharpest performances yet. And it couldn’t have come at a better time, kicking off a grueling 16-games-in-16-days stretch for the Mets.

“Kodai Senga has the worst sub-3 ERA I’ve ever seen in my life,” read another comment. But hey, isn’t it a bit too harsh? “I’m really not a fan of how quickly some of our fanbase turns on Kodai Senga the second he isn’t perfect. He’s a good pitcher, period,” another X user said. Remember the August 15th game against the Braves? Senga incurred just 2 ERs with 7 SOs. So, trolling him brutally for his recent slump might not be ideal.

But above all, the Mets’ loss to the Nationals would now just make their Wild Card equation a lot more complex. Let’s see how it goes from here for the Mets.