Noah Syndergaard is a badass. That much was proven with the first pitch of Game 3 of the World Series back in October. When that pitch sailed over Alicides Escobar’s head, everyone knew Thor was in charge on the mound.
While Matt Harvey may have been anointed the reputation as the staff’s leader/bulldog, it seems as though Noah Syndergaard is ready to grab the baton from him while Matt’s still running the track. It is sometimes hard to remember that this guy is only entering his first full season in the big leagues. He has a commanding presence that can’t be ignored; and while he has proven to be a tough guy on the mound, he’s been nothing but fun and jovial off the field.
Syndergaard has been the most active Mets starting pitcher in the social media space this offseason, and he is already more than halfway to Matt Harvey’s follower totals on both twitter and Instagram. He has spent the offseason taking in a number of New York sporting events including Giants, Knicks, Rangers, and even Islander games. His social media posts are always positive and are many times, legitimately funny.
“Thor” came up to the big leagues with a comic book alter-ego already in place, unlike Matt Harvey, who was bestowed his “Dark Knight” nickname by sports writers well after his debut. The fact that Noah has completely embraced it, makes him that much more likeable. He has been known to take photos with Thor memorabilia on, and sometimes, tweets in the persona.
With his brash “come get it” attitude on the mound and his cheerful attitude off it, (not to mention his gift for control at high velocities) Syndergaard has begun a love affair with Met fans. It ignited with that first pitch on October 30th, and it may not extinguish for a long time still. Matt Harvey might be the hero we needed, but Syndergaard may prove to be the one we want to keep.
While most foresee Matt Harvey as a guy who will be gone sooner or later, chasing the biggest paycheck, Syndergaard represents where the Mets’ money might really need to go. Besides his amazing ability, Syndergaard is also the only Mets’ pitcher yet not to have Tommy John (knocks on wood furiously) thus far, making him all the more valuable. The best part is that he is so young that he can get better.
The 2016 season has yet to begin, but already Noah Syndergaard seems primed to be a huge part of the Mets’ success, this year and for years to come.
Here are links to all of Thor’s social media accounts:
