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May 31, 2013
BP Unfiltered
Eyewitness: Noah Syndergaard
by Chris King
Noah Syndergaard
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RHP
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New York Mets
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DOB
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8/29/1992
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Height
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6’6”
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Bats
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L
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MLB ETA
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2015
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Weight
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240
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Throws
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R
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Current Team
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St. Lucie
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Date Seen
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5/22/2013
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Date Filed
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5/29/2013
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Acquired
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Trade with the Blue Jays 2012
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Have Video?
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No
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Mechanics
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High ¾ arm slot; excellent posture; well balanced; smooth, low energy delivery that is easily repeated; finishes square to the plate in good fielding position.
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#1 Pitch
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Fastball: 93-96, Top 97. Command: above average, nearing plus status. Movement: explodes down in the zone with some tailing action. A heavy pitch that he moves up and down in the zone while still maintaining command. Grade: 70
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#2 Pitch
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Curveball: 76-78. Command: slightly above average. Movement: big looping downward break. Good velocity; stays on top of the pitch consistently; generated good amount of swing and misses; knee buckler to right-handed batters. Grade: Present 50/Future 60
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#3 Pitch
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Changeup: 83-86. Command: average. Movement: some sink with average depth. Didn’t throw it very much; seems to be more deceptive against lefties; maintained good arm speed; above average velocity differential to FB. Grade: Present 45/Future 55
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Other
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Very relaxed on the mound with a good idea of how he wants to attack hitters. Stays with what’s working and isn’t afraid to challenge batters. Velocity and command dropped a bit in the sixth, but was able to buckle down and get out of a jam with his best changeup of the night
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Overall
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Very mature pitcher with a solid three-pitch arsenal and excellent mechanics; always lands soft on his front foot and square to the plate; has the size you like to see in a potential top-of-the-rotation starter; his body should allow him to throw 200-plus innings with minor wear and tear; uses his fastball to control the game and sequenced his off-speed stuff well; wasn’t afraid to throw the curve while behind in the count; curveball had righties bailing out and lefties reaching throughout the game; still needs to find a more consistent feel for his changeup, but it’s still an improving offering that has decent depth; maintained decent arm speed; changeup was more effective against lefties; with more command the changeup could be a third plus pitch with swing-and-miss potential; very focused when on the mound and showed some mental toughness when he ran into some trouble. Syndergaard is one of the most polished pitchers I’ve seen at this level. With his size, stuff, and makeup there is no reason to think he can’t be a successful big leaguer in the near future.
Grade: 60; no. 2 to 3 starter
Risk Factor: Moderate
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Chris King is an author of Baseball Prospectus.
Click here to see Chris's other articles.
You can contact Chris by clicking here
<< Previous Article
The Lineup Card: Makin... (05/30)
|
<< Previous Column
BP Unfiltered: The Roy... (05/31)
|
Next Column >>
BP Unfiltered: A Homer... (06/01)
|
Next Article >>
Fantasy Mailbag: Pulli... (05/31)
|
This format is excellent