JUPITER, FL – Call it a full two days of fun when you get to see the new Automated Ball-Strike technology at work and see Noah Syndergaard take the first big step in his comeback from Tommy John surgery.
First things first, and Mets fans you might have something special when Syndergaard returns to action in the majors.
I’ve seen dozens and dozens of his starts, but I never saw Syndergaard under such control as he was Wednesday in his first rehab outing, a four-inning, one hit, five-strikeout performance for the St. Lucie Mets against the Palm Beach Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium.
The plan was for Syndergaard to go four innings and he did just that against the Low-A Cardinals, who never had a chance against him. But it was the way Syndergaard was performing, throwing a fastball that hit 95, a breaking ball and a changeup.
Scouts at the game noted Syndergaard was not throwing his power slider and I have maintained for a long time, that is a good thing for his elbow, not to throw too many power sliders. His fastball played up and his windup appeared a little more deceptive and a lot more together than in the past, but the best thing was that Thor was not trying to be Thor.
Noah was just being Noah and that is plenty good enough.
Syndergaard was not overthrowing or as one scout at the game told BallNine, “He wasn’t trying to throw the ball 105 miles per hour, he was just trying to throw strikes down at the bottom of the strike zone – 93-95 down in the strike zone actually looked pretty good and he had a good changeup. And the breaking ball was not as hard, not as stressful as in the past.’’
That is a pleasant change for Syndergaard.
That’s a really good thing, and if Syndergaard can keep under control there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel for the Mets. “He looked very deGrom-ish, very controlled,’’ the scout added.
That is some high praise.
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