Noah Syndergaard has not pitched professionally since he was released by the Guardians at the end of last August. He reportedly drew interest from the Padres and Pirates over the winter but ultimately remained unsigned.
With more than half the ’24 campaign in the books, it seems Syndergaard is turning his attention to next year. Jon Heyman of the New York Post tweets that the former Mets star will make a comeback effort in 2025. He’ll presumably conduct a few showcases next offseason in hopes of finding a minor league deal with a non-roster invite to Spring Training.
Syndergaard was one of the game’s most fearsome starters at his peak. His triple digit velocity hasn’t returned since he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2020. Syndergaard overcame the diminished stuff to turn in a decent 3.94 ERA in 134 2/3 frames between the Angels and Phillies in 2022. Things went downhill last season, though, as he struggled for both the Dodgers and Guardians.
Over 12 starts with Los Angeles, Syndergaard turned in a 7.16 earned run average. He spent a couple months on the injured list before being flipped to Cleveland in a change of scenery swap sending Amed Rosario to Southern California. Syndergaard returned from the IL and stepped into the Cleveland rotation for the month of August. The new setting didn’t provide much of a turnaround. He allowed a 5.40 ERA over six starts for the Guardians before being cut loose.
Syndergaard closed the year with a 6.50 ERA across 88 2/3 cumulative innings. His strikeout rate fell to a personal-low 14.3% clip. An 8.2% swinging strike rate was similarly unimpressive. Syndergaard still filled up the strike zone, walking fewer than 5% of batters faced, but he did so without anything close to the stuff he wielded at his peak. His four-seam fastball and sinker each sat around 92 MPH.
His camp will hope that a year away from game action can help rebuild some of the arm speed that he has lost over the past couple seasons. Syndergaard turns 32 in August, so there’s still plenty of time for him to resume his career. There should be no shortage of teams that have scouts in attendance if he throws a couple showcases over the winter.
This is a starter my O’s can build around
You really come up with some original material.
Just your garden-variety troll.
Ok Mr./Ms./Mrs./Mx. Mets6986?? let’s see what amazing contributions you’ve made to this world. I’ll wait
Does that justify your nonsense? If these comment boards are all noise, what’s left of this site and community?
Agreed, this sports website comment section is hallowed ground. How dare he defile it with his harmless sarcasm.
“Get off my lawn!!” — MLB Fanatic
The fastball had a one-way ticket out, he’s been pining for her, but she ain’t coming back. Hopefully everything about learning how to pitch from his last few organizations plays out. And if he gets a just few ticks on the FB, then he may have something
He’s a big dude, presumably with big hands. He should track down Mark Langston or Dave Stewart and learn to throw a splitter. Sometimes one new pitch can change a career.
-Rich Hill
-RA Dickey
-Mark Mulder (if he didn’t tear his achilles)
Sad to say Noah has a ten cent head. My money’s on, well, not him.
in 2015-16 was supposed to be the next pedro martinez, the next cy young superstar. and the muts ruined him. just plain sad
He had some real good years with the Mets. You have some more moronic things to say about the Mets.
how, pray tell, did they ruin him?
Mets rotation could have been legendary.
Degrom, wheeler, syndergard, harvey, matz.
Every single 1 had TJ
Every single 1 completely broke down
Like marlon brando once said they “coulda been somebody”
What a shame
How is that the Mets fault? Lots of pitchers on every team get Tommy John.
That really is a very sick rotation. You have to imagine they could’ve made another run or two if they kept them together; especially so if they had retained Wheeler, somehow.
I still remember hearing all the hot stove rumors about my White Sox pushing hard to sign Zack Wheeler when he hit free agency. I always wonder what could’ve been had we signed Wheeler instead of Dallas Keuchel (which was heavily implied to be our ideal plan that Offseason).
mets let go wheeler and he became an all star for philly. they also let go dan murphy and he won a batting title literally the minute he left queens. d’arnaud is another guy who left mets, became an AS and won a WS. its no coincidence once playres leave their careers blossom. that was a once in a lifetime rotation. wheeler missed 2 whole seasons, then mets let him go bec of his health risks. during his time in queens he averaged 18 starts/year, in philly he averages 30 starts/year. matt harvey went from clayton kershaw to rick ankiel overnite. matz was always hurt. syndergard had TJ and never was the same. degrom was hurt pretty much every yr and was very vocal about how upset and frustrated he was with mets team doctors and trainers. he kept saying how they are only making it worse for him, which is a big reason he left for texas. anyway those 2010s mets pitchers had so much potential. after they won the pennant i assumed they’d go on to win multiple championships. instead, i’m not sure those 5 even stayed in the rotation together for 1 go around
@Utah Murphy never won a batting title. The year he left he was runnerup to DJ L. I’d credit Murphy’s #s with Nats more to the potent lineup he was in. His few years in that lineup were easily his best years.
I do agree with you on Mets rotation. There was a time that rotation looked like it had the potential to be one of the greatest All Time and it fell apart quickly.
Injuries do happen and numerous teams have had multiple arms fall to TJS. As for that Mets rotation tho they were either extremely unlucky or something systematic played a part in those injuries. Personally I believe it was either their approach to conditioning and/or not enough focus on proper mechanics. Whatever it was, that rotation now will always be viewed as what could ve been.
He would have won a batting title but the rockies, who had nothing else to play for by that point, hid DJL on the bench so that he wouldn’t lose it.
Murphy missed 10 of the last 11 games. DJ missed the last 2 games.
They ruined Harvey in 2015 for sure, but not convinced with Syndergaard.
Try relieving, Noah…
Dude could be a nasty closer. Go the smoltz route
Except he doesn’t throw hard anymore.
Smoltz didn’t throw hard
Yeah but Smoltz was still good
Smoltz did throw hard. Not sure what you were watching
Smoltz was a great pitcher and hall of famer but he wasn’t known for throwing hard
I don’t think he could reach 95 but that was in a different era where fastballs under 90 were common
Smoktz hit 98. What are you talking about?
With… what, exactly—a 92 mph fastball with no life?
The Dodgers and Guardians couldn’t do anything with him, so maybe try the Rays?
Best of luck to him!
Does anyone else read “Guardians” as “Canadiens” in these articles??? They are shaped the same. My eyes look at the end of words first for some reason….?
No
Dyslexia? Some folks never get diagnosed.
How would that be dyslexia?
As a montreal Canadians fan for my 35 years on this planet and 8 or so years on this site not once did I get those confused. Also I will say I know 2 people very very well who have ADD and seem to look at the first letter and last 2 of a word a guess what it is more then read it. Maybe ADD over Dyslexia
“seem to look at the first letter and last 2 of a word a guess what it is more then read it.”
Thsi is esnesitllay how all hmuans read. It’s how you were able to understand my previous sentence.
ADD is dated. ADHD has become the norm.
I read Indians
Best of luck comig back!
From watching Noah when he was with the Phillies, he hasn’t made an adjustment by adding a killer breaking pitch. It seems like he’s waiting for the 100mph fastball to come back. It ain’t. He needs to watch Ranger Suarez and Christopher Sanchez and take notes.
Hopefully a year off allowed Thor to heal up.
Noah been cooked ever since Elly hit his first HR against him, almost into the Ohio River last summer. Noah promptly hit the next batter on the hip, first pitch. Thor still crying. .
As many people have mentioned, Noah needs to learn to pitch, and develop another pitch such as a splitter. Seattle and Tampa would be the two teams to look at if he wants to reinvent himself.
Syndergaard needs to find where 7mph went off his fastball. If he can add just 4-5 back to 96-97mph, he’ll be good.
You probably have a better chance of sleeping with Mrs. Santa Claus than at 32 him finding 7 MPH on his fastball…..good luck lol!
Haven’t tried with Mrs. Claus. Is she having marital problems with ‘ol Saint Nick?
Thats what happens when you throw 100+ every pitch as a starter. Injuries eventually take their toll. People are naive if they think someone like Skenes can avoid injury. Reminds me of Lincencum exept that Skenes is much bigger. The issue is, pitchers don’t pitch anymore, they just go for the easy way out with their fastball. Someone like Scherzer for instance never needed 100 mph fastball or a 92mph slider to get anyone out, he used his brain. Greg Maddux or Tommy Glavine are older examples. The point is, these flamethrowers won’t last for the long haul
Amazing when you remember that Thor, deGrom, and Matt Harvey were on the Mets at the same time. Would have thought they’d have long and successful careers. A power pitcher now is like a time bomb.
I like the man but his career is done.
Keep going till no one will pay a dime anymore, what a hoot.
AA was correct to trade him for RA Dickey.
Syndargaard isn’t the brightest bulb. I’ll highly doubt he will have any kind of comeback.
How’s this working out Noah? This is why you don’t burn bridges on your way out. Instead of a non-roster invitee with a minor league deal back with the mets, you’re running an online book club.