Noah Syndergaard
Bats/Throws: L/R
DOB: August 29, 1992 (23 on Opening Day)
Contract Status: Pre-Arb (Will make league minimum)
2015 Review
Noah Syndergaard burst onto the scene in a big way last season, at times pitching like an ace. The six-foot-six righty brought an incredible array of pitches that was at times even more impressive than those of Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, or Jacob deGrom.
In 150 major league innings, Syndergaard put up a 3.24 ERA, 3.25 FIP, and 2.91 xFIP. His strikeout rate of 9.96 K/9 was sixth in baseball among pitchers with 150 or more innings while his 1.86 BB/9 rate was 17th. His fastball, according to Fangraphs, averaged 97.1 miles per hour. That was the best in baseball.
In the postseason, Syndergaard proved to be a force both as a starter and out of the bullpen. He kept his cool in the most high-pressure innings of his life, which bodes well for a club that will likely be in the playoffs a lot going forward.
Somehow, Syndergaard managed to only finish fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting, but he left no doubt that the Mets have something special on their hands.
2016 Projections
Steamer – 176 IP, 3.14 ERA, 9.90 K/9, 2.34 BB/9, 3.07 FIP, 4.1 fWAR
ZiPS – 172 IP, 3.09 ERA, 10.15 K/9, 2.25 BB/9, 2.99 FIP, 3.6 fWAR
The projection systems are optimistic that Syndergaard will make at least slight improvements this upcoming season. Given his peripherals, it’s easy to see why. Someone who strikes out that many, walks so few, and throws so hard isn’t going to have a 3+ ERA for too long.
The one area where Syndergaard needs to improve in order to really be on the level of a Matt Harvey or Jacob deGrom is his efficiency. But that’s really just nitpicking. (Zack Wheeler is the guy who we should really be worried about in this area.)
There is nothing I can point to that says Syndergaard will be anything but great this season. The man misses bats at astounding rates. He has incredible command of his entire repertoire. He is perhaps the most intimidating starter in baseball. The improvements on his curveball have been promising and the killer slider he added last season will only give him more options late in at-bats.
