“Thor” Delights New York One Last Time?
What can you really say about 10 pitches in a meaningless game at the end of September between two teams that have long been out of the playoff picture? Actually, it was more captivating than I thought it would be. It had been two years since, Noah Syndergaard had thrown a pitch in a Major League, regular season game. The six foot six inch, strapping right hander, with flowing blonde hair and a Marvel Comic Book character nickname, was full of promise and had enormous expectations.
Monday night in game 2 of a doubleheader between the New York Mets and the Miami Marlins, maybe for one final performance, "Thor" took center stage in New York City.
As with the majority of Major League baseball players, those promises and expectations hit a treacherous roadblock in March of 2020 when Syndergaard suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in spring training that required Tommy John Surgery. The 29 year old has been no stranger to the injured list. In 2017 Syndergaard tore his lateral muscle and was out from May to September. To paraphrase New England Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick, 'he simply wasn't available when we needed him.'
The Mets brass, rightly or wrongly, depended on Noah Syndergaard returning to the rotation in "late May or early June of this season." That plan was derailed with an early "set-back" and in true New York Mets fashion, little was said about it, in hopes that the fans and the media forgot about the towering savior that throws 100 mph. That's a story for a different day.
At the end of this season, which is days away for the Mets at this point but technically after the completion of the World Series, Noah Syndergaard will become a free agent. Could I see the Mets resigning "Thor"? Sure I could. Do I think it is the smart move? That all depends on the price. When Syndergaard is available, he is really good and can be dominant. He is definitely a solid #2 starter on every any staff, even could be a #1 on many.
The Mets have a lot to think about. Those 10 pitches last night that included 2 strikeouts in Noah's 1-2-3 inning, definitely gave the Mets, and probably many other teams, the visions of promise and expectations that Mets fans have been counting on. My greatest memory of seeing Noah Syndergaard pitch in-person was the 2016 National League Wild Card Game against the San Francisco Giants, Noah Syndergaard vs. Madison Baumgarner. Noah went toe to toe with Baumgarner for 7 innings. The Giants starter went all nine. Jeurys Familia gave up a 3 run homer in the top of the 9th to Connor Gillespie. The Mets lost but Syndergaard did his job giving the Mets a masterful performance in the biggest game of the year.