Former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Noah Syndergaard has endured quite the up-and-down MLB career. Once upon a time, one of the top pitchers in the game, his unfortunate encounter with injuries helped beset what was once a promising career for the former first-round draft pick.
Things sure haven’t gone Syndergaard’s way recently, especially when he went unsigned for the 2024 season and remained a free agent. However, MLB insider Jon Heyman recently revealed that the right-hander plans to revamp things and is aiming for a comeback to the major leagues next season.
Former Phillies pitcher Noah Syndergaard aiming for a comeback next season
Looking back, Syndergaard began his tumultuous MLB career with the New York Mets after being part of the huge blockbuster deal that sent Cy Young winner R.A. Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays. Nicknamed “Thor” due to his resemblance to the iconic figure, he became a mainstay in the Mets starting rotation for a good part of five seasons before injuries ravaged the former All-Star.
In his tenure with New York, Syndergaard compiled a 47-31 record with a 3.32 ERA and 1.16 WHIP with a whopping 777 strikeouts in just 718 innings over 120 starts. In addition, he played a key role in helping the Mets reach the World Series in 2015.
However, he had various injury woes from the 2017 to 2019 seasons. In the end, it was ultimately capped off with Tommy John surgery in 2020 that sidelined him until almost the end of the 2021 season.
Phillies traded for Syndergaard at the 2022 deadline
Things seemed to be back on track for Syndergaard in 2022 after signing a one-year, $21 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. His 3.83 ERA and 1.21 WHIP that he put up with the Angels was impressive enough that the Phillies acquired him at the trade deadline for prospects Mickey Moniak and Jadiel Sánchez.
With the Phillies, Syndergaard went a solid 5-2 with a 4.12 ERA in nine starts down the stretch, helping the club reach the postseason for the first time since 2011. He also played a part in their World Series run but was limited to just four games (including two starts). Nevertheless, he was solid when he did play, yielding only three earned runs on six hits with one walk and eight strikeouts in 8 1/3 innings of work.
Syndergaard wasn't retained by the Phillies following the 2022 season, so he spent 2023 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Guardians. Sadly, he took a step back once again that year, going 2–6 with a 6.50 ERA and 1.39 WHIP with just 56 strikeouts in 88 2/3 innings. His 14.3 percent strikeout rate also represented the lowest mark of his career, showing some alarming regression. As a result, he couldn't secure a job for 2024, despite throwing a bullpen showcase session at the beginning of the year.
At just 31 years old, Syndergaard isn’t about to call it a career just yet without giving it one more shot. But he will have his work cut out for him as he will need to impress enough to garner interest from prospective teams. Who knows, if he manages to pull it off, perhaps we may see him back in a Phillies uniform in the near future.