HomeFeaturesNoah Syndergaard is One of the Best in the League

Noah Syndergaard is One of the Best in the League

In the third game of last year’s World Series, Noah Syndergaard threw a pitch high and tight to the Kansas City Royals lead-off batter Alcides Escobar. This was not only a message to the Royals, but a memo to the rest of the league, his teammates and to Mets fans. The bulletin was simple: ‘When I am on the mound, this is my team.’ In his press conference after Game 3, Syndergaard said, “If [The Royals] have a problem with me throwing inside, they can meet me 60 feet, 6 inches away. I’ve got no problem with that.”
Fast forward to present day and Syndergaard pitched 7 innings on Sunday afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers. “Thor,” as he is called, struck out 11 batters and didn’t give up a single walk or run. The 23-year-old is now 5-2 on the season with a 1.94 ERA. This was his second game in a row where he struck out 10 or more hitters. One reason for his success is Syndergaard’s slider, which has been clocked at over 95 MPH (a higher speed than 35% of starting pitchers fastballs).
Legendary college basketball announcer Bill Raftery describes players who have tremendous heart, courage and guts by saying, “He’s got onions!” Well, Syndergaard’s onions are blooming. In 33 regular season starts, he has 242  strikeouts and only 40 walks. He is not only the best pitcher on the Mets, he is becoming one of the best pitchers in major league baseball. Personally, I have never seen a pitcher with his power and control. With a nickname like “Thor,” he is quickly becoming a New York Legend.
For more from Monte Perez, follow The Sports Whisperer on Twitter @Montetjwitter11, and listen to the Monte Cristo Sports Thing on WRNJ Radio.


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