Five Mets moments that made fans fall in love with current players

Noah Syndergaard: Game 3 of the 2015 World Series

Just a couple of weeks after deGrom’s ace-worthy attitude blossomed against the Dodgers, Noah Syndergaard endeared himself to Mets fans everywhere with one attention-getting pitch against the Kansas City Royals in the World Series. Syndergaard had an outstanding rookie season in 2015, going 9-7 with a 3.24 ERA, 166 strikeouts in 150 innings, a razor-thin WHIP of 1.047, and a 4th place finish in the NL Rookie of the Year voting.

By the time the Mets got to Game 3 of the Fall Classic, they were in an 0-2 hole with the series shifting back to Queens. It was do-or-die time, and the tall rookie pitcher was on the mound against the stacked Royals lineup. Alcides Escobar stepped into the batter’s box shortly after 8:00 pm eastern time, having hit an inside-the-park home run a few days prior to kick off the World Series in rather chaotic fashion. Syndergaard’s first pitch to Escobar sailed high.

So high, in fact, that it flew straight over Escobar’s head and smacked the wall behind home plate. Escobar sat down by home plate, looking perturbed, while his teammate Mike Moustakas barked at Syndergaard from the Royals’ dugout. The Citi Field faithful roared with appreciation, and the game was underway. The Mets ended up winning Game 3, the only game they won in the 2015 series.

Syndergaard defended his daring decision in a postgame interview, famously inviting any member of the Royals who disagreed with his approach to come have a friendly chat with him on the mound.

https://twitter.com/SNYtv/status/1318658249713856513

The Mets may not have won it all against the Royals that October, but Syndergaard certainly earned his stripes that day.