The New York Mets team this past season was totally different than the NL champs in 2015. The Mets were riddled by injuries to their pitching rotation this season. Matt Harvey, Steven Matz, and Jacob deGrom all suffered injuries, setting back the performance of the Mets’ rotation. The offense wasn’t too productive either, hitting for a team batting average of .246. Considering that the Mets are an NL squad, an ace pitcher that can perform at a level that Noah Syndergaard did can single handedly lead their team to the playoffs, which he did.
Thor, as Mets’ fans call him, struck out a mere 218 batters on his way to claiming 14 victories. Thought his 2.60 ERA was impressive? Syndergaard lead the league with an incredibly low FIP of 2.29. Of about half his starts, Noah had at least 100 pitches. Twenty of his 31 starts were of quality. Syndergaard was not only 3rd in the league in ERA, but ERA+ as well, 158. The home run is the most deadly way of hitting a pitcher; Sybndergaard had the lowest HR/9 of 0.5 in 16′. However, the most important statistic that Syndergaard had this season was his WAR, which was 5.3.
Without a WAR of 5.3 the New York Mets do not make the playoffs, and Syndergaard doesn’t give them a fighting chance in the Wild Card game in which he struck out 10 in 7 shutout frames. Syndergaard single handedly put the team on his back. When runners were in scoring position with Syndergaard on the mound, they were taken down. Opponents hit only .242 against Thor while in scoring position. With Harvey no longer the savior the Mets thought he was, and deGrom and Matz dealing with injuries, Syndergaard is the Mets leader for now and the future.
