Mets: Why Noah Syndergaard gets a pass Yoenis Cespedes never will

Why does it seem that New York Mets pitch Noah Syndergaard isn’t getting as criticized for his lengthy disabled list stint as Yoenis Cespedes is?

For the last few weeks, New York Mets fans have been suffered through some tough losses. A big reason for it has been the lack of star power on the field. Specifically, they have been without Noah Syndergaard and Yoenis Cespedes.

Syndergaard is the team’s number two starter. On many staffs, he’d be a number one. A finger injury has held him out of action since late May yet he’s not the one drawing the same amount of criticism as Cespedes. Why is it?

Thor seems to get a pass here. It’s somewhat unusual. After all, he missed even more time in 2017 than Cespedes did. Syndergaard made only seven starts all season while Cespedes managed to participate in 81 games.

The circumstances surrounding the two injuries aren’t too different. Syndergaard has missed much more time than expected. Cespedes, whose disabled list stint almost seemed precautionary at first, has turned into what feels like a career-ender. The major difference between the two involves the dollars associated with each.

Syndergaard is taking home under $3 million this season whereas Cespedes will earn nearly ten times as much. The contrast is stark. I believe it’s the reason why fans’ patience with Cespedes has worn thin much quicker than it has with Syndergaard.

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There are more reasons why the disdain for Cespedes is a lot heavier than it is for Syndergaard. Cespedes doesn’t seem eager to get back on the field. At least Syndergaard has been seen in the dugout with the Mets during his disabled list stint. Cespedes didn’t even meet with the team when they recently visited the Miami Marlins despite being in Florida.

Fans also seem to like homegrown talent a little more. Even if Syndergaard is a product of the Toronto Blue Jays originally, he has only worn their big league uniform.

Cespedes, on the other hand, has worn four MLB logos in his career. The attachment isn’t as strong with him. Fans are more willing to turn against an outsider than they are a guy who grew up with their minor league system.

One final point of consideration is how we treat pitchers differently from position players. Pitchers are handled with care much like quarterbacks in the NFL. Position players are expected to battle through more injuries.

How many times have you read about a pitcher leaving a game with a blister? You better believe a position player would be run out of town if he ever missed a single at-bat with something so minimal.

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Why do you think Syndergaard gets a bigger pass than Cespedes?