Fantasy Baseball: 10 Starting Pitchers Expected to See an Increase in Production
Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets
2016 nF Score: 6.18
2017 Projected nF Score: 8.84
Projected Boost: 2.66
| Year | IP | W | K | BB | ERA | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 183.2 | 14 | 218 | 43 | 2.60 | 1.15 |
| 2017 (Projected) | 205 | 14 | 239 | 49 | 3.03 | 1.09 |
After debuting in 2015 and introducing himself to everyone with a high-and-tight fastball to Alcides Escobar that fall in the World Series, the 2016 season was a true breakout year for Noah Syndergaard. Among qualified starters, his 6.4 WAR (per Fangraphs) was the best, his 10.64 K/9 ranked fourth, only Jon Lester and Kyle Hendricks had a lower ERA and he tied with Jose Fernandez for the lowest FIP (2.30).
His fastball velocity is what gets everyone's attention (average of 98 MPH in 2016), but he displayed very good command of a four-pitch arsenal, which included a slider that he threw with an average velocity of 90.9 MPH, the fastest in baseball.
Although he reported to spring training bigger and stronger than ever -- with the goal of actually throwing harder -- that does bring some risk in. He's the only starter among the New York Mets' starting five (if Zack Wheeler is included) that hasn't undergone Tommy John surgery.
Current Fantasy Draft Information:
Even with the risk involved, it's hard to pass up on someone this young and talented. That's why he's the fourth starter coming off the board, with an average draft position (ADP) inside the top 20 overall picks. If he can stay on the mound, he should easily be worth that pick and possibly reach the above projections.
