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Happy 21st Birthday to Noah Syndergaard!

By Former Writers

August 29, 2013 No comments

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Yes, it’s that time of the year; Thor is officially 21-years-old. If I accomplished as much as Noah Syndergaard has in his first 21 years on this earth, I’d be pretty pumped. He was regarded as the “X-Factor” in the trade that sent R.A. Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays, with the Mets gaining Travis d’Arnaud. Upon his arrival to the organization, he’s done nothing but impress with his fastball and control of the strike zone.

His first 12 starts in the Mets organization came in High-A St. Lucie. He went 3-3 with a 3.11 ERA, 16 walks, and 64 strikeouts in 63.2 innings pitched. Thor was named to the FSL All-Star team, which ended up being his swan song before getting promoted to Double-A Binghamton. Rafael Montero had recently been promoted to Triple-A, leaving the B-Mets without their ace at the top of the rotation. However, Syndergaard picked up right where Montero left off.

Outside of getting hit hard in his last start on August 26th, he’s been nothing short of spectacular, showing he can adjust to Eastern League competition with ease. In 11 starts (54 IP), he’s 6-1 with a 3.00 ERA, 12 walks, and 69 strikeouts. Prior to surrendering nine earned runs against Bowie, his ERA was hovering around the 1.50 mark.

If all goes according to plan, Syndergaard will be starting the 2014 season in Triple-A as a member of the Las Vegas 51s starting rotation. His trek to the majors will likely mirror what the Mets have done with Zack Wheeler and Matt Harvey; once he shows he can handle the next level of competition, he will get promoted if the situation calls for it. As of right now, the target seems to be around July 2014 for Noah’s MLB debut. Needless to say, all Mets fans are excited about it.

Happy birthday, Noah! Here’s to a great 21st birthday, and the hope that the celebration of your 22nd happens when you’re in the major leagues.