Kodai Senga

 is a Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks of the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).
He has been consistently rated by MLB scouts as having the potential to be a top quality starting pitcher in Major League Baseball.
Professional career.
On October 28, 2010, Senga was drafted as a developmental squad player () by the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in the 2010 Nippon Professional Baseball draft with Takuya Kai and Taisei Makihara.
2011–2015 season.
From 2011 season to mid-2012 season, he played in informal matches against Shikoku Island League Plus's teams
and amateur baseball teams, and played in the Western League of NPB's minor leagues.
On April 23, 2012, he signed a 4.4 million yen contract with the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks as a registered player under management. () On April 30, Senga debuted in the Pacific League against the Chiba Lotte Marines as a starter. In 2012 season, he pitched two games in the Pacific League.
In the match against the Saitama Seibu Lions on May 12, 2013, Senga pitched as a relief pitcher and became his first Winning pitcher. In 2013 season, he lined up the Pacific League record of consecutive no-Run innings (34 1/3 innings) by relief pitchers. On July 19, he participated the All-Star Game for the first time in MAZADA All-Star Game 2013. On September 4, he left the team with a strain on his left flank and spent the rest of the season rehabilitating. Senga recorded with a 51 Games pitched, a 1–4 Win–loss record, a 2.40 ERA, a 17 Holds, a one Save, a 85 strikeouts in 56.1 innings.
In 2014 season, Senga pitched as a reliever, but on June 15th he hurt his right shoulder and spent the rest of the season rehabilitating his right shoulder. He finished the regular season with a 19 Games pitched, a 1–1 Win–loss record, a 1.99 ERA, a 3 Holds, a 28 strikeouts in 22.2 innings. 
In 2015 season, Senga pitched in the Pacific League in August, partly due to the rehabilitation of his right shoulder. On August 19, he won his first victory as a starting pitcher. And he finished the regular season with a 4 Games pitched, a 2–1 Win–loss record, a 0.40 ERA, a 21 strikeouts in 22.1 innings. In the 2015 Japan Series against the Tokyo Yakult Swallows, he relief pitched in Game 3 and Game 4.
2016–2020 season.
In 2016 season, Senga pitched as a starting pitcher, and finished the regular season with a 25 Games pitched, a 12–3 Win–loss record, a 2.61 ERA, a 181 strikeouts in 169 innings. The 12 wins in the regular season were the most wins for a pitcher drafted as a developmental squad player and became an NPB record.
On July 14, 2017, Senga participated in the mynavi All-Star Game 2017 for the 2nd time. In 2017 season, he finished the regular season with a 13–4 Win–loss record, a 2.64 ERA, a 151 strikeouts in 143 innings and he won the 2017 Pacific League Winning percentage leader (.765 Winning percentage). In the 2017 Japan Series against the Yokohama DeNA BayStars, he was the first pitcher from the developmental squad player to pitch as a starting pitcher in the opening game, and Senga and Kai's battery were the first to win the Japan Series as players who was drafted as a developmental squad player.
In the opening game of the 2018 season against the Orix Buffaloes on March 30, 2018, Senga pitched as his first opening game starter. On August 17, in the match against the Orix Buffaloes, he achieved his first shutout game. Senga finished the regular season with a 22 Games pitched, a 13–7 Win–loss record, a 3.51 ERA, a 163 strikeouts in 141 innings. In the 2018 Japan Series against the Hiroshima Toyo Carp, he pitched in Game 1 and Game 5 as a starting pitcher and contributed to the team's second consecutive Japan Series champion.
In 2019 season, Senga attempted unsuccessfully to get the Hawks to post him to Major League Baseball teams. On July 12, 2019, Senga participated in the mynavi All-Star Game 2019 for the 3rd time. On September 6, 2019, he achieved the second no-hitter as Hawks, for the first time in 76 years. 
This is the first time a player has been drafted with the developmental squad players draft. Senga finished the regular season with a 26 Games pitched, a 13–8 Win–loss record, a 2.79 ERA, a 227 strikeouts in 180.1 innings. In the 2019 Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants, he became the winning pitcher in Game 1 and contributed to the team's third consecutive Japan Series champion. On November 26, Senga was honored for the Pacific League strikeout leader Award, Mitsui Golden Glove Award, and Pacific League Best Nine Award at the NPB AWARD 2019.
In the match against the Chiba Lotte Marines on November 4, 2020, Senga recorded a total of 1,000 strikeouts. In 2020 season, Senga finished the regular season with a 18 Games pitched, a 11–6 Win–loss record, a 2.16 ERA, a 149 strikeouts in 121 innings. In the 2020 Japan Series against the Yomiuri Giants, he has pitched as a starting pitcher in the opening game of the Japan Series for the fourth consecutive year since Tsuneo Horiuchi, and became the winning pitcher with no runs in seven innings, contributing to the team's fourth consecutive Japan Series champion. Senga topped the Pacific League in Win–loss record, ERA and strikeouts and was honored at the Pacific League the most wins Champion Awards, Pacific League ERA leader Awards and Pacific League strikeout leader Awards at the NPB Awards 2020 on December 17. And he also won his second Best Nine Award and Golden Glove Award for the second consecutive year.
International career.
Senga represented the Japan national baseball team in the 2016 exhibition games against Mexico and Netherlands, 2017 World Baseball Classic.
In the 2017 World Baseball Classic, following the conclusion of the tournament, he was named to the 2017 All-World Baseball Classic team.
On October 1, 2019, he was selected at the 2019 WBSC Premier12. But he canceled his participation because of the accumulation of fatigue in the regular season.
Playing style.
Senga is a 6 ft 2 in, 198 lb right-handed pitcher. With a three-quarters delivery he throws a fastball topping out at , a deceptive forkball, a cutter and a slider. Due to the effectiveness of his forkball, the pitch has been nicknamed "ghost fork(ball)" in Japan.