Noah Syndergaard reminisces bygone era of dominance as maligned pitcher's stats tank: "I would give my hypothetical first-born to be the old me again"
Starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard continues to struggle with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Syndergaard was hoping to relaunch his career with the club after a relatively successful 2022 campaign with the Los Angeles Angels and Philadelphia Phillies.
The newly acquired pitcher suffered another grueling outing during Wednesday's 10-6 loss to the Washington Nationals. Syndergaard, who was pulled after five innings, gave up five runs, seven hits and struck out only two batters.
The Nats had no problems dealing with the former All-Star with Keibert Ruiz, CJ Abrams and Jeimer Candelario all going deep at Dodger Stadium.
Syndergaard was visibly upset after conceding a third home run in the fifth inning. Asked about the difficult outing, the pitcher responded that he would go to extreme lengths to recapture his early-career form.
"I would give my hypothetical first-born to be the old me again. I'll do anything possible to get back to that," said Syndergaard
Syndergaard's ERA has ballooned to 6.54 on the season. He has dropped to 1-4 on the season with opposing hitters averaging .302 against him.
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The numbers speak for themselves. Over his last four starts, he has given up 16 runs, five home runs and 23 hits. He has managed just 20 innings and is 0-1 over that stretch.
Noah Syndergaard was selected to the All-Star Game in 2016
During his peak, Noah Syndergaard was considered one of the top pitchers in the MLB.
The righty flamethrower made a name for himself with the New York Mets where he finished with a 47-31 record and a 3.32 ERA over six seasons.
Rough day for Noah Syndergaard https://t.co/7K335vknmW
"Rough day for Noah Syndergaard" - Barstool Baseball
He was selected to his first All-Star Game in 2016. That season, he finished with a 14-9 record and a 2.60 ERA over 30 stars.
Since New York, however, Syndergaard has had trouble finding a home. He has bounced around the league with varying levels of success and failed to find any consistency.
Investing $13 million in a 30-year-old pitcher who recently had Tommy John surgery was always going to be a gamble for the Los Angeles Dodgers. They would have been hoping for a better return than what they have seen to date.
With Walker Buehler still injured, the club will rely on Syndergaard to eat up his share of innings. The Dodgers are one of the favorites to win it all this season. Pitching is an area the club will likely address before the trade deadline.