Jul 28, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard (34) pitches against the San Diego Padres during the first inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Noah Syndergaard
The youngest of these options is 22-year old Noah Syndergaard. He’s only 19 starts into his rookie season after making his big league debut back in May, but his 3.19 ERA would put him 16th in the NL if he had enough innings to qualify.
Syndergaard is a power-pitcher that uses his 6-foot-6-inch frame to throw downhill and induce ground balls, posting an above-average 43.3% ground ball rate so far in his career. He throws gas, with a fastball that can reach 98 MPH, leading to an exceptional 9.8 K/9 rate that has been the 4th best in the NL this year.
The man they call Thor may not actually be an Asgardian god, but he can put the hammer down with a 12-to-6 curveball that rates as one of the league’s best with a 6.5 wCU. He hasn’t found the same level of success with his changeup at the major league level yet, but some scouts believe it can develop into another plus-pitch for him.
The one concern with Syndergaard is his drastic home/road splits. The rookie is 7-1 with a spectacular 1.82 ERA in the cozy confines of Citi Field, but only 1-5 with a 4.91 ERA on the road. As I mentioned before regarding deGrom, pitchers of this caliber can survive the transition from the senior circuit to the designated hitter infused American League, but these splits are a bit troubling. Most likely they are the result of rookie jitters, where he just happens to feel more comfortable pitching in front of the home crowd. That’s an adjustment he should make with experience, so it’s probably not a long-term concern. However, it may be enough to bring down the asking price a bit considering he has less of a track record than his more established All-Star teammates.
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