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MLB Power Rankings: Top 25 players in the game today

By Joshua Sadlock

ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 02: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels reacts to his solo homerun for a 1-1 tie with the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Angel Stadium on May 2, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 02: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels reacts to his solo homerun for a 1-1 tie with the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Angel Stadium on May 2, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FL – APRIL 09: Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on April 9, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – APRIL 09: Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets delivers a pitch against the Miami Marlins at Marlins Park on April 9, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

23. Noah Syndergaard

Hailing from Texas, physically imposing and utterly intimating and possessing one of the most explosive fastballs in baseball, New York Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard is as close to a modern-day Nolan Ryan to come along in quite some time. The 25-year-old hurler is the complete package. Syndergaard is the hardest-throwing starter in baseball and his fastball moves in ways that quite honestly defy the laws of physics.

Most importantly, Syndergaard knows where the ball is going when it leaves his hand.

Unlike Ryan, who walked nearly five batters per nine for his career and led the league in wild pitches six times, Syndergaard has elite command of the baseball. He has walked only 1.9 per nine for his career and has struck out ten batters per walk over the past two years. At his best, he is unfair on the mound.

What prevents Syndergaard from climbing higher on this list is the health concerns that still linger. He has yet to complete 200 innings in a season and was limited to only seven starts last year by a torn muscle. There do not appear to be any lasting effects from last year’s injury, and Syndergaard’s first six starts of 2018 have been masterful.

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