Is Noah Syndergaard the most overrated pitcher in MLB?

Recency bias is a tricky thing.  We can say crazy things and think it’s true because we forget about seasons past and how well players have played in the past.  Exhibit A is Noah Syndergaard, who has been a good pitcher for the Mets for years, but this year has failed to be effective pretty much all season.

Syndergaard is usually dubbed as the Robin to Jacob deGrom’s Batman and although in the past it’s been true (will get to that shortly) he’s been flat out awful for the Mets so far this year.  His statline reads this way;  A 1-3 record with a 6.35 ERA.  He has given up six more hits (40) than innings pitched (34) and has been ineffective for most of the season.

The biggest problem with Syndergaard is that he carries himself as one of the elite pitchers in baseball but never takes the blame when things aren’t going well.  There’s a fine line between arrogance and confidence and Syndergaard is currently on the arrogance side of that line.  Whether it be the travel schedule, the feeling of the baseballs on a cold day, or anything in between, Syndergaard has had an excuse for it.

Instead of going the path of Batman Jacob deGrom, who has taken full responsibility for his struggles and injuries, Syndergaard refuses to acknowledge that he’s the problem, not the environment around him.  That’s what makes him overrated;  The way he carries himself when he’s 1-3 and not helping the Mets win games is off-putting and he needs to change his attitude.

Now in fairness to Syndergaard, his track record is pretty good.  He had a stellar season last year for the Mets, going 13-4 with a 3.03 ERA.  His career stats are also favorable, with a 38-25 record and a career ERA of 3.14.  However, when you’re dubbed as a superhero, Thor needs to come to play every game.  If he doesn’t, he looks bad and makes himself look worse by doubling down on it.  So yes Syndergaard is the most overrated pitcher in baseball, but that’s all on his own account.  If he can turn his season around it won’t be a problem, but if he continues to be arrogant he’ll be on a slippery path.