Noah Syndergaard

1. Overview

Noah Syndergaard (born August 29, 1992), nicknamed "Thor", is an American professional baseball pitcher known for his exceptional velocity and imposing mound presence. A right-handed pitcher, Syndergaard's career in Major League Baseball (MLB) has seen him play for the New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Cleveland Guardians. Rising to prominence as a top prospect, he made an impactful MLB debut in 2015 with the Mets, contributing to their 2015 World Series appearance. He earned an All-Star selection in 2016, becoming one of only five Mets pitchers to strike out 200 batters in a single season before the age of 25. His career has also been marked by challenges, including significant injuries like a torn latissimus dorsi muscle in 2017 and Tommy John surgery in 2020, which impacted his playing time and performance. Off the field, Syndergaard is recognized for his "Thor" persona, his active social media presence, and his support for Sjögren syndrome research, a condition affecting his mother.

2. Early Life and Amateur Career

3. Professional Career

Noah Syndergaard's professional baseball career began with his draft selection by the Toronto Blue Jays, leading him through their minor league system before a significant trade brought him to the New York Mets, where he established himself as a prominent Major League pitcher. His MLB tenure included periods with the Angels, Phillies, Dodgers, and Guardians, marked by both standout performances and injury challenges.

3.1. Draft and Minor League Career

The Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB) selected Syndergaard in the first round, 38th overall, of the 2010 MLB Draft. He chose to forgo his commitment to Dallas Baptist University, instead accepting the Blue Jays' 600.00 K USD signing bonus to begin his professional career.

Syndergaard spent the 2010 season with the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League (GCL) Blue Jays, where he posted an 0-1 record with a 2.70 ERA in five starts, striking out six batters in 13 and one-third innings. In 2011, he started with the Bluefield Blue Jays of the Appalachian League, Toronto's other Rookie-level team. After seven appearances, he had a 4-0 record with a 1.41 ERA and 37 strikeouts in 32 innings. He was then promoted to the Class A Short-Season Vancouver Canadians of the Northwest League, where his pitch velocity already reached up to 98 mph. In four starts for Vancouver, Syndergaard went 1-2 with a 2.00 ERA before earning another promotion in late August to the Low-A Lansing Lugnuts of the Midwest League. He made two appearances in Lansing, with a 3.00 ERA and nine strikeouts in as many innings. Between the three teams, Syndergaard concluded the 2011 season with a 5-2 record and a 1.83 ERA in 13 games (11 starts), recording 68 strikeouts in 59 innings.

He returned to the Midwest League in 2012 with the Lansing Lugnuts. The team employed a "piggyback system," limiting starting pitchers to three innings each and pairing them; Syndergaard would often trade off with Anthony DeSclafani. This system proved effective, contributing to Lansing's 23-13 record and 2.56 team ERA by May 25, with Syndergaard's combined ERA with DeSclafani at 3.07. Lansing led the Midwest League with 47 wins and a 2.80 team ERA in the first half, with the trio of Syndergaard, Justin Nicolino, and Aaron Sanchez combining for an 11-2 record and 1.90 ERA. In 27 games for Lansing (19 starts), Syndergaard finished the season 8-5 with a 2.60 ERA, striking out 122 batters in 103 and two-thirds innings.

On December 17, 2012, Syndergaard was traded to the New York Mets as part of a larger deal that saw Toronto acquire reigning Cy Young Award winner R. A. Dickey, along with catchers Josh Thole and Mike Nickeas. In return, the Mets received Syndergaard, Travis d'Arnaud, John Buck, and Wuilmer Becerra.

For the 2013 season, Syndergaard joined the Class A-Advanced St. Lucie Mets of the Florida State League, pitching alongside Hansel Robles, Luis Mateo, Domingo Tapia, and Jacob deGrom. He recorded a 2-3 record with a 2.81 ERA in his first 11 starts for St. Lucie, striking out 59 batters in 57 and two-thirds innings, and was one of three Mets players selected for the Florida State League All-Star Game in June. After one more start for St. Lucie, finishing 3-3 with a 3.11 ERA, he was promoted to the Double-A Binghamton Mets of the Eastern League on June 23. Shortly after, Syndergaard was invited to the 2013 All-Star Futures Game, where he pitched a scoreless first inning. Despite a difficult first outing after the All-Star game, he quickly recovered, posting a 6-1 record with a 3.00 ERA and 69 strikeouts in 54 innings across 11 starts for Binghamton.

Syndergaard was promoted to the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s for the 2014 season. He won his Pacific Coast League debut, striking out five batters in six innings during an 11-8 victory over the Fresno Grizzlies. His initial period in Las Vegas was inconsistent, with a 4-2 record and 3.92 ERA by May 10, prompting him to focus on refining his breaking balls to better handle advanced batters. After two injuries in May and June-a strained pronator teres muscle and a sprained shoulder-Syndergaard received another invitation to the All-Star Futures Game. This time, he served as the closer for the US team, earning a save with a scoreless ninth inning in a 3-2 win. Overall, his season was a success, with a 9-7 record and 4.60 ERA in 26 starts and 133 innings. Despite pitching primarily in the hitter-friendly Cashman Field, he allowed only six home runs and led the Pacific Coast League with 145 strikeouts. However, he was not chosen as a September call-up for the Mets, meaning he did not receive valuable major league pitching time that year, which he expressed disappointment about.

4. Pitching Style

Noah Syndergaard is known for his distinct pitching mechanics and an impressive repertoire of pitches. In 2019, his last full season before undergoing Tommy John surgery, his pitch arsenal included four primary types: a 98 mph fastball, a 91 mph changeup, an 89 mph slider, and an 80 mph curveball.

Early in his career, Syndergaard was recognized as one of the hardest-throwing active MLB starting pitchers. In 2018, the average velocity of his four-seam fastball, sinker, changeup, and slider were all the highest among major league starters. He has been known to reach fastball speeds up to 101 mph. His average fastball velocity of 97.9 mph was about 1.5 mph faster than the next-best starting pitcher, marking the fastest average pitch velocity since 2007, when such metrics were first reliably tracked. His career average for walks per nine innings is 2.00, indicating good control despite his high velocity.

His curveball, averaging 81 mph and featuring a sharp vertical break, was considered a top-tier pitch in his early career. He also effectively used a changeup that averaged 89 mph. From 2016 onward, he incorporated a slider averaging 90 mph to 91 mph, which led to a decrease in the usage rate of his curveball.

Syndergaard's extreme pitch velocity came under scrutiny in 2020, particularly after he, along with several other hard-throwing MLB pitchers, underwent Tommy John surgery for elbow injuries. Sports writers like Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated raised concerns that the prevailing focus on maximizing pitch velocity was contributing to a higher incidence of injuries among pitchers like Syndergaard.

On the mound, Syndergaard has stated his intention to be "as intimidating as possible," a notable contrast to his reserved personality off the field. He also employs a distinctively subdued pitch delivery system, largely forgoing a traditional windup in favor of always pitching from the stretch. He believes this approach enhances his pitch control and allows him to more reliably replicate his mechanics.

5. Personal Life and Public Image

Noah Syndergaard received his well-known nickname "Thor" from Mets fans in 2013, after he posted a video on Twitter of himself weightlifting while wearing a Marvel Cinematic Universe character of the same name Halloween costume. The nickname also alludes to Syndergaard's Scandinavian heritage, as the Marvel character is based on a Germanic deity.

Syndergaard's last name, Syndergaard, has been frequently misspelled by MLB. For instance, his poster at the 2016 All-Star Game read "Snydergaard," and a jersey advertisement on the Fanatics team store misspelled it "Synedrgaard."

His passion for weight training extends beyond physical conditioning, as he reportedly can squat 454 lb ^{(206 kg)} and deadlift 511 lb ^{(232 kg)}. All of Syndergaard's baseball gloves are named after fictional characters, reflecting his diverse interests. In addition to his signature "Thor" glove, he has used gloves named "Drago", "Heisenberg", "Rick Grimes", "Tyrion Lannister", "Jon Snow", and "Loki". One exception is his "Lion" glove, named as an inside joke with Kevin Pillar, symbolizing Syndergaard as the "lion on the mound" and Pillar as the "lion in the outfield." Syndergaard regularly auctions off his gloves to raise money for research into Sjögren syndrome, an autoimmune disease his mother suffers from. His mother also has an Australian Shepherd dog named "Thor."

Outside of baseball, Syndergaard has made several cameo appearances on television shows. In 2016, he appeared as a guest on the sitcom Kevin Can Wait, starring Mets fan Kevin James. In a Halloween-themed episode, Syndergaard played a man dressed as a Viking who confronts one of the main characters. Later that year, he voiced himself in a World Series-themed episode of the Cartoon Network show Uncle Grandpa, alongside fellow MLB All-Stars David Price, Adam Jones, Chris Archer, and Jose Altuve. In 2017, Syndergaard appeared in the Game of Thrones episode "The Spoils of War" as a spearman for House Lannister, who is eventually killed by one of Daenerys Targaryen's dragons. That same year, he appeared as himself on an episode of the reality television prank show Impractical Jokers, where he attempted to throw autographed baseballs to young fans, only for cast member Joe Gatto to steal them.

Syndergaard maintains an active social media presence, particularly on Twitter. While recovering from Tommy John surgery, he used his social media platform to form a book club with fans, seeing it as a way to connect with them and further his education, as he did not attend college. In 2021, he engaged in a public dispute on Twitter with Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer regarding an incident where Bauer's personal website advertised New York Mets merchandise, incorrectly suggesting he had signed with the team. Later that year, Syndergaard also had a public disagreement on Twitter with retired radio announcer Mike Francesa following Syndergaard's decision to leave the Mets for the Angels.

6. Awards and Achievements

Noah Syndergaard has garnered several significant individual awards and notable statistical achievements throughout his professional baseball career:

• Topps All-Star Rookie Team (Right-handed pitcher: 2015)
• MLB All-Star Game selection: 1 time (2016)
• Player of the Week (National League): 4 times
  • August 3, 2015 (Co-Player with Lucas Duda)
  • May 22, 2016
  • May 5, 2019
  • August 4, 2019

  Syndergaard also achieved specific statistical milestones:

  • He became one of only five Mets pitchers to strike out 200 batters in a single season before the age of 25 (2016).
  • He is one of only seven pitchers in MLB history to throw a 1-0 shutout while hitting his own home run, a feat he accomplished on May 2, 2019, the first since 1983.
  • He finished fourth in voting for the NL Rookie of the Year in 2015.
  • He placed eighth in voting for the NL Cy Young Award and 19th in NL MVP voting in 2016.

7. Controversies and Criticisms

Noah Syndergaard's career has seen a few notable controversies and criticisms, often highlighted by his outspoken nature and strong personality.

One significant incident occurred during the 2016 MLB season when Syndergaard was ejected from a Mets-Dodgers game after throwing a pitch behind Chase Utley. This action was widely perceived as retaliation for Utley's controversial slide in the previous year's NLDS, which resulted in a broken leg for Mets shortstop Ruben Tejada. While Syndergaard denied intentional targeting, claiming he lost control of the ball, the incident sparked considerable discussion and controversy.

In 2019, Syndergaard's public comments regarding his preference for pitching to backup catchers Tomas Nido and Rene Rivera over regular starter Wilson Ramos created internal team friction. His statistically better performance with the backup catchers contrasted with his struggles when paired with Ramos. Despite Syndergaard's reported requests to avoid pitching to Ramos, manager Mickey Callaway continued to pair them, citing Ramos's offensive hot streak as a mitigating factor. Syndergaard later expressed regret that his concerns about his catcher pairings were leaked publicly.

A major point of criticism arose in 2020 when Syndergaard underwent Tommy John surgery for a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This decision drew controversy because many doctors were canceling elective surgeries and conserving hospital resources for pandemic response at the time. While the hospital affirmed the procedure was deemed essential, some questioned the ethical implications of a professional athlete receiving such a surgery while others faced delays in critical medical care.

Syndergaard has also been involved in public disputes on social media, notably with fellow MLB pitcher Trevor Bauer and retired radio announcer Mike Francesa, which reflect his active and sometimes confrontational online presence. Furthermore, in May 2020, Syndergaard faced a lawsuit from his New York apartment landlord for alleged unpaid rent. He responded by stating that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he had no intention of moving into the apartment and had offered two months' rent as a settlement, but the landlord rejected his proposal, seeking a larger sum for breach of contract.

8. Career Statistics