Fansided

10 MLB stars who need to step up and carry their team to the playoffs

By Joshua Sadlock

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 31: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park on July 31, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 31: Bryce Harper #3 of the Philadelphia Phillies looks on against the San Francisco Giants at Citizens Bank Park on July 31, 2019 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 10: Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets in action against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on August 10, 2019 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Nationals 4-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – AUGUST 10: Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets in action against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field on August 10, 2019 in New York City. The Mets defeated the Nationals 4-3. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

2. Noah Syndergaard

The New York Mets have been the biggest story in baseball since deciding to push their chips to the middle of the table at the trade deadline and go for a playoff spot this year and next. The Mets are 21-7 in the second half and are within a game of the National League’s final playoff spot. Their run from well below .500 to legitimate playoff contender has been fueled by dominant starting pitching.

Over the past month, no Mets pitcher has come up bigger than right-hander Noah Syndergaard. The subject of rampant trade speculation and rumor at the deadline, the Mets kept the big 26-year-old, who has been on fire in the second half. Syndergaard is 2-1 with a 1.91 ERA over his last six starts. In 42.1 innings, he has allowed only one home run with 10 walks and 44 strikeouts. Opponents have hit just .219/.268/.316, and he has gone seven innings or more in all six starts.

Part of the reason the Mets kept Syndergaard at the deadline was a perceived drop in his market value. He endured the worst first half of his career, hitting the break with a 6-4 record and 4.68 ERA. Syndergaard was allowing nearly a hit an inning and yielding 1.2 home runs per-nine.

Opponents have begun squaring up Syndergaard’s blazing fastball with more regularity this season, but his slider, changeup and curveball remain among the most dominant pitches in the league. Syndergaard has upped his slider usage significantly in the second half. If he is able to continue stringing together seven-inning, two-run starts, the Mets will stay right in the thick of the playoff race all the way to the end.

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