Noah Syndergaard in line to host the Mets in Orange County this weekend

Noah Syndergaard will make his first 2022 appearance in a New York Mets game this weekend. It’s not so unusual for a Mets pitcher to make his first start of the season in Flushing in June. This example is different. Syndergaard’s debut on the season is a one-and-done moment as he’ll be playing host to the Mets along with his Los Angeles Angels teammates.

Depending on exactly how many pitchers the Angels use, Syndergaard will pitch either Saturday or Sunday. What we do know: it won't be up to Joe Maddon to decide.

Either way, get ready for feeling a little guilty about checking out one of your exes.

What has former Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard done so far this year?

Syndergaard is now 4-4 with a 3.69 ERA in 46.1 innings of work spanning 9 total starts. He has not been the same dominant strikeout pitcher he was in New York. He has fanned only 30 batters for a rate of 5.8 strikeouts per nine innings.

Results from game-to-game for him have been widely mixed. He got pummeled in the middle of May which sparked the whole Twitter war with SNY. Against the same Texas Rangers team that blasted him for 6 runs (4 earned) in only 0.2 innings of work, Thor rebounded with 8 innings against them featuring just a single run allowed.

The next time on the mound, the New York Yankees tagged him for 5 earned runs in 2.1 innings of work. He didn’t strike a single player out in that performance.

Most recently, Syndergaard gave the Angels 6 innings of work versus the Boston Red Sox. A lone earned run in the second inning accounted for the only scoring of the game. Syndergaard took the loss and continued the Angels’ losing streak—dragging it up to 12.

The Mets have already faced Steven Matz this year and handled him well. Syndergaard is a different kind of beast. Going against Matz was old news. They already got those tributes out of the way in 2021 when he was with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Mets have never faced Syndergaard. He has never gone up against them.

With the way these two teams have played recently, the story is far less about a possible World Series preview and far more focused on the ex-Mets playing for the Angels. The marquee matchup of the series takes place whenever Syndergaard gets on the bump. ESPN will be hoping it's Sunday night when Syndergaard appears because it will give them a single point to talk about all night long.