Noah Syndergaard will try to pitch the Mets into the NLDS in Wednesday’s Wild Card game against the Giants. He’ll oppose Madison Bumgarner, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports, in what should be a highly entertaining matchup.
Bumgarner, of course, is revered as much for his hitting as his pitching. The four-time All-Star finished the 2016 season with three home runs and has hit 12 since the start of the 2014 season, easily the most in baseball among pitchers in that span of time. The 27-year-old lefty also found himself in the running for the NL Cy Young Award, compiling a 15-9 record with a 2.74 ERA and a 251/54 K/BB ratio in 226 2/3 innings. The venerated lefty has an outstanding postseason track record as well, owning a 2.14 ERA across 12 starts and two relief appearances.
Syndergaard, 24, will bring his trademark golden locks and his 100 MPH fastball to Wednesday’s meeting. No one threw a fastball harder on average than Syndergaard, as he averaged 98 MPH. Yordano Ventura, in second place, registered at 96.1 MPH. Syndergaard finished 14-9 with a 2.60 ERA and a 218/43 K/BB ratio in 183 2/3 innings, helping buoy the Mets’ otherwise tattered starting rotation, as the club lost Jacob deGrom, Steven Matz, Matt Harvey, and Zack Wheeler throughout the year.
The NL Wild Card game starts at 8:00 PM on Wednesday and will be broadcast on ESPN.
