NY Mets History: When Noah Syndergaard looked poised for greatness

Following an underwhelming and disappointing 2014 season, the 2015 New Yok Mets had their own version of an almost-complete Cinderella story. Riding on a weak National League East, the team clinched the division, upsetting the Los Angeles Dodgers and sweeping the Chicago Cubs. Led on offense by a resurgence in veteran outfielder Curtis Granderson and a one-two pitching punch in Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom, the team ended up in the World Series, falling to the Kansas City Royals four games to one.

However, in that season, most fans might forget that it was the debut of a 22-year-old right-hander from Texas that seemed poised to secure the third rotation spot, if not outright become the ace of the team. Noah Syndergaard, a former first-round pick, had one of the better starts to any Mets pitcher in the modern era. Nicknamed "Thor" for his look, there was also reason to believe he would pitch like Thor.

Noah Syndergaard earned Rookie of the Year votes for his performance in 2015 and looked bound for stardom

In fact, Syndergaard was the only pitcher in the National League to earn any votes for Rookie of the Year.

In 2016, Syndergaard's pitching got better. His K/9 rate increased to 10.7, while his home run-rate over nine innings dropped to a commanding .5. His Fielding-Independent Pitching score (FIP dropped to 2.99, while his ERA fell to 2.60. As a result, Syndergaard ended up with an all-star nod, an 8th-place finish in Cy-Young voting and votes for most-valuable player.

By 2017, however, injuries began to take their toll on Syndergaard.

Between 2017 and 2019, according to Sporting News, the young pitcher ended up with three separate injuries from his hamstring to back to even his finger ligaments. While Syndergaard still put up decent numbers, there was a notable increase in control issues, watching his WHIP balloon to 1.21 and his walk rate beginning to increase. His strikeout rate also began to decline back to average levels. Despite throwing three complete games in 2018 an 2019, his injury list was becoming a cause for concern.

Following a long stint on the injured list, along with obvious decline, the Mets did not heavily pursue Syndergaard in the 2021 free agent market. The then 29-year-old signed with the Los Angeles Angels.

Syndergaard pitched with four teams between 2022 and 2023, before being ultimately released after increasingly ineffective performances.

What started as a promising career flamed out rather quickly. In 2015 and 2016, Syndergaard was seen as a critical piece to a Mets team that could, even in 2018 showing that he could go the distance twice. Now, we're left with the burning question of "What if Syndergaard had just stayed healthy and didn't lose what he had?"