How Mets can fully embrace Kodai Senga as new closer

Kodai Senga has done a pretty good job in the closer’s role for the New York Mets. Five games, three saves, no runs allowed, seven strikeouts. Not at all bad considering Senga was 0-8 with a bloated 8.66 ERA, which has since dropped to 7.79.

Granted, it’s not as though the Mets are starving for help in the ninth inning. Devin Williams is having a down season again with a 4.66 ERA and only 16 saves, but the deeper metrics show he’s more unlucky than ineffective. Williams is currently on the IL with a shoulder strain, but still has two years left on a $42 million deal signed last winter. The ninth inning job is his to lose if he’s healthy entering next season.

But performance aside, Williams just doesn’t have the same presence as a closer. At least not on the same level as Edwin Diaz and his infamous entrance to “Narco” by Timmy Trumpet. He began the season with “Hypnotize” by Notorious B.I.G., but it hasn’t stuck.

Granted, it’s not as though a closer having a badass entrance theme means they’ll get the job done. Just ask former Yankees All-Star closer, former Mets starter, and current Chicago Cub Clay Holmes. He started using “White Horse” by Chris Stapleton in 2024 and turned in a 30 save season, but he also had 13 blown saves and lost his job to Luke Weaver by the postseason. Even the G.O.A.T. Mariano Rivera and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” were prone to ninth inning meltdowns.

But there’s still something to a good closer entrance, and the Mets are sitting on a potential gold mine with Senga. Even if he’s eventually demoted to setup man.

Why is it that Kodai Senga, he of the legendary “Ghost Fork” splitter and current Mets closer, isn’t entering to “Ghostbusters” by Ray Parker Jr.??

Is it basic? Yes, absolutely. It isn’t creative, quirky, or unique. Plus, the idea of Mr. and Mrs. Met turning in their trumpets for a wacky Halloween-adjacent gimmick is kind of juvenile.

Except let’s be honest. “Ghostbusters” is a banger both as a movie and a song. Isn’t that the whole point of a closer’s entrance song? To fire up the crowd and get the adrenaline flowing ahead of a close finish. It’s almost a rite of passage, a star closer picking the music to fire up both the crowd and themselves.

Take Yankees stopper David Bednar, who’s nicknamed “The Renegade” and, of course, enters to “Renegade” by Styx. Somehow, that dad rock anthem from 1979 fires up Yankee Stadium. Bednar pitching well helps too, he has 27 saves with a 2.48 ERA and blew his first save in three months on Sunday.

The same goes for Astros lefty Josh Hader when he enters to “Fireman” by Li’l Wayne, or Mason Miller and “Blind” by Korn.

Why not just roll with it and have Kodai Senga enter to “Ghostbusters” for the rest of this lost Mets season? The team is on a four-game winning streak and 10-3 since August 4. Playoffs aren’t happening. Big changes are probably coming regardless of any lockout or labor stoppage.

What does a team usually do at this point when the season is lost? And when everyone’s just running out the clock? You take the field and have some fun. That means going full ’80s whenever Senga comes in from the bullpen.

Now, who do we talk to about getting Mr. and Mrs. Met some proton packs?