NOAH SYNDERGAARD, RHP
Player Data: Age: 24, B/T: Left/Right, Free Agency: 2022
2016 Primary Stats: 14-9, 2.60 ERA, 30 GS, 183.2 IP, 218 K, 43 BB, 1.15 WHIP
2016 Review:
It seemed only fitting that Noah Syndergaard would get the Mets their first win of the 2016 season against the defending World Series Champion Kansas City Royals. Syndergaard, 24, pitched and won Game 3 of the 2015 World Series, the only game the Mets won in the Fall Classic, so watching Thor mow down Royal hitter after Royal hitter, tossing six shutout innings of three hit ball, striking out nine, just seemed apropos.
Thor was outstanding in April and May, posting a 5-2 record with a 1.84 ERA and .545 OPS against. He added to his superhero legacy during a May 11 start in Los Angeles against the Dodgers, where he hit not one, but two home runs (the second putting the Mets ahead for good), all while pitching eight innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts for his third win of the season. It was the second time in Mets history where a pitcher hit two home runs, the last coming in 1983 by RHP Walt Terrell against the Chicago Cubs.
Despite a few shaky starts in June, Thor rebounded post All-Star break on, posting the 4th best ERA in the National League at 2.65. Thor also posted the third highest fWAR for starting pitchers in the second half at 2.4, and in total, posted the highest fWAR of any starting pitcher this season at 6.5. That’s the highest fWAR by a Mets starting pitcher since Matt Harvey posted the exact same 6.5 fWAR in his 2013 All-Star season.
Comparing his 2015 season to ’16, Thor made a ton of improvements in a myriad of categories, including innings pitched (150 regular season innings to 183.2), K/9 (9.96 to 10.68), HR/9 (1.14 to 0.54), ERA (3.24 to 2.60), and swinging strike percentage (12.2 to 14.2%). Syndergaard also made his first All-Star team this year, however, he didn’t appear in the Midsummer Classic due to a fatigued arm, while also dealing with a bone spur in his right elbow.
Syndergaard eluded the disabled list this past season, and embraced the ace title that came with not having Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, and Zack Wheeler for parts of and in Wheeler’s case, all of 2016. The responsibility that comes with being the number one starter on a staff means pitching in the biggest of games, on the biggest of stages, all while embracing the moment. Dating back to Game 3 of the 2015 World Series in his rookie season, fans knew what kind of competitor Thor was. So it was no surprise that when the Mets were hosting the NL Wild Card Game against the San Francisco Giants on October 5, Thor was tasked with matching up with Giants’ ace, Madison Bumgarner.
The pitching duel we had all hoped for came to fruition that night, as both starters were on their respective games, and the cool autumn night had the feel of a classic World Series game. Syndergaard was masterful, mixing in his high-90s four-seam fastball, with his devastating slider and sinker, keeping the Giants’ batters off balance the entire night. Syndergaard logged seven innings of work, allowing no runs on two hits and three walks, while striking out ten (tied for second most in a Wild Card game start).
Grade: A
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2017 Outlook:
There’s no mistaking it, Thor is the ace of the Mets’ staff, and has lived up to all the hype, and then some! Syndergaard made the leap from 169 combined major league innings (including postseason) in 2015, to 190.2 innings in 2016 (including the Wild Card game), so barring any injuries, Syndergaard should be ready for 200 plus innings for 2017 and beyond.
Of course, the Mets will monitor Syndergaard in ’17 to ensure optimal health, and have options with the pitching depth from Gsellman, Lugo, and Colon (if he re-signs), to preserve Thor if he appears to need rest. Syndergaard’s a bulldog though, and I expect more of the same out of the rocket right arm that Thor has awed fans with since his debut in May 2015. Expect more All-Star appearances, and his name in the running for multiple Cy Young Awards for years to come.
