{"id":114732,"date":"2026-02-25T11:41:41","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T16:41:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=114732"},"modified":"2026-02-25T11:41:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T16:41:41","slug":"10-years-later-remembering-noah-syndergaards-dominant-2016-all-star-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/02\/25\/10-years-later-remembering-noah-syndergaards-dominant-2016-all-star-season\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Years Later: Remembering Noah Syndergaard\u2019s Dominant 2016 All-Star Season"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"124\" data-end=\"296\">Ten years ago, in the summer of 2016, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/syndeno01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Noah Syndergaard<\/a> didn\u2019t just make his first All-Star team \u2014 he announced himself as one of the most overpowering pitchers in baseball.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"298\" data-end=\"348\">A decade later, that season still feels cinematic.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"350\" data-end=\"627\">At 23 years old, Syndergaard blended elite velocity with uncommon command, finishing the year 14\u20139 with a 2.60 ERA, 218 strikeouts, 0.97 WHIP, and 183.2 innings pitched. But those surface numbers only hint at how dominant he truly was compared to his National League peers.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"629\" data-end=\"674\">Where Syndergaard Ranked in the NL in 2016<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/02\/Unknown-1-3.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"168\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-114737\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"676\" data-end=\"732\">Among qualified NL pitchers in 2016, Syndergaard ranked:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"734\" data-end=\"948\">\n<li data-start=\"734\" data-end=\"757\">\n<p data-start=\"736\" data-end=\"757\">3rd in ERA (2.60)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"758\" data-end=\"782\">\n<p data-start=\"760\" data-end=\"782\">3rd in WHIP (0.97)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"783\" data-end=\"834\">\n<p data-start=\"785\" data-end=\"834\">2nd in strikeouts per nine innings (10.7 K\/9)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"835\" data-end=\"873\">\n<p data-start=\"837\" data-end=\"873\">Top 10 in total strikeouts (218)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"874\" data-end=\"922\">\n<p data-start=\"876\" data-end=\"922\">Top 5 in opponents\u2019 batting average (.217)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"923\" data-end=\"948\">\n<p data-start=\"925\" data-end=\"948\">Top 5 in FIP (2.29)<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"950\" data-end=\"1181\">Advanced metrics loved him just as much as the eye test. His 2.29 FIP suggested he was even more dominant than his ERA indicated. Hitters weren\u2019t squaring him up. They weren\u2019t walking. They weren\u2019t breathing comfortably in the box.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1183\" data-end=\"1488\">His fastball averaged nearly 98 mph and regularly touched triple digits \u2014 the hardest among starting pitchers that season. But what separated Syndergaard from other power arms was efficiency. He didn\u2019t just throw hard; he located. His walk rate (2.1 BB\/9) was elite for someone with that kind of velocity.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1490\" data-end=\"1521\">He wasn\u2019t wild. He was precise.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"1523\" data-end=\"1545\">The Theater of 2016<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/02\/Unknown-2-3-300x150.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-114736\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/02\/Unknown-2-3-300x150.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/02\/Unknown-2-3.jpeg 318w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1547\" data-end=\"1616\">The 2016 season wasn\u2019t just statistically dominant \u2014 it was dramatic.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1618\" data-end=\"1824\">In May, tensions with the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/teams\/LAD\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dodgers<\/a> boiled over when Syndergaard opened a start by throwing behind <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/u\/utleych01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chase Utley<\/a>. He was ejected immediately. The moment made national headlines. In <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/teams\/NYM\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New York<\/a>, it made him iconic.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1826\" data-end=\"2079\">He pitched with an edge that season. The long hair flowed out from under his cap. The broad shoulders. The deliberate, almost theatrical pauses before delivering a 100 mph fastball. \u201cThor\u201d wasn\u2019t just a nickname \u2014 it was branding backed by performance.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2081\" data-end=\"2167\">And when October arrived, he delivered one of the defining performances of his career.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2169\" data-end=\"2412\">In the 2016 National League Wild Card Game against the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/teams\/SFG\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Giants<\/a>, Syndergaard threw seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks. Under postseason pressure, he elevated. Every pitch had intent. Every two-strike count felt inevitable.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2414\" data-end=\"2504\">It remains one of the most dominant winner-take-all pitching performances in Mets history.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"2506\" data-end=\"2530\">A Complete Ballplayer<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"2532\" data-end=\"2764\">Syndergaard even contributed with the bat in 2016, hitting three home runs and driving in 10 runs, finishing with a .225 average. For a pitcher in the National League, that was a bonus weapon \u2014 and a reminder of his athleticism.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2766\" data-end=\"2824\">He wasn\u2019t just a flamethrower. He was a complete presence.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"2826\" data-end=\"2849\">The \u201cWhat If\u201d Factor<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_65766\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-65766\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USATSI_21251697_168403884_lowres-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-65766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USATSI_21251697_168403884_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USATSI_21251697_168403884_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USATSI_21251697_168403884_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USATSI_21251697_168403884_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USATSI_21251697_168403884_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USATSI_21251697_168403884_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/01\/USATSI_21251697_168403884_lowres.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-65766\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Aug 22, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard (34) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-start=\"2851\" data-end=\"2922\">Looking back 10 years later, 2016 feels like both a peak and a promise.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2924\" data-end=\"3164\">Injuries would soon alter his trajectory. A torn lat in 2017 limited him to seven starts. Tommy John surgery in 2020 cost him an entire season. The triple-digit fastball gradually dipped. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2019\/05\/03\/noah-syndergaard-dominates-historic-game\/\" target=\"_self\">The dominance became flashes rather than a constant<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3166\" data-end=\"3294\">He would later pitch for the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/teams\/ANA\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Angels<\/a>, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/teams\/PHI\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Phillies<\/a>, <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/teams\/LAD\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dodgers<\/a>, and <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/teams\/CLE\/2023.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Guardians<\/a> \u2014 at times effective, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/07\/26\/guardians-trade-amed-rosario\/\" target=\"_self\">at times searching for his old form<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3296\" data-end=\"3389\">But the 2016 version of Syndergaard? That pitcher looked like a perennial Cy Young contender.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3391\" data-end=\"3666\">At just 23, turning 24, ranking top three in ERA and WHIP in the National League while striking out hitters at an elite rate, he appeared poised to anchor the Mets\u2019 rotation for years alongside other young stars. Instead, that year now lives as a brilliant standalone chapter.<\/p>\n<h2 data-start=\"3668\" data-end=\"3700\">The Legacy of a Luminous Year<\/h2>\n<p data-start=\"3702\" data-end=\"3824\">Baseball history is filled with long careers and quiet consistency. But it also treasures singular, unforgettable seasons.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3826\" data-end=\"3884\">Noah Syndergaard\u2019s 2016 campaign belongs in that category.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"3886\" data-end=\"4166\">Ten years later, fans don\u2019t first recall the injuries or the later stops around the league. They remember the heat. The swagger. The postseason dominance. The All-Star nod that validated what everyone already knew \u2014 that for one extraordinary year, Thor ruled the National League.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"4168\" data-end=\"4243\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">And for those who watched closely in 2016, the memory still feels electric.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ten years ago, in the summer of 2016, Noah Syndergaard didn\u2019t just make his first All-Star team \u2014 he announced himself as one of the most overpowering pitchers in baseball. A decade later, that season still feels cinematic. At 23 years old, Syndergaard blended elite velocity with uncommon command, finishing the year 14\u20139 with a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5710,"featured_media":114734,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4454,2,22],"tags":[422,1560,164,76],"class_list":["post-114732","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-baseball-history","category-featured","category-mets","tag-chase-utley","tag-mets","tag-new-york-mets","tag-noah-syndergaard"],"modified_by":"Eddie Lennon, Staff Writer","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114732","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5710"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=114732"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114732\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":114738,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114732\/revisions\/114738"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=114732"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=114732"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=114732"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}