Syndergaard Has Solid Debut but Pitching Alone Can't Carry Mets

Set to deliver the first pitch of his big league career, New York Mets top prospect Noah Syndergaard stared into catcher Kevin Plawecki's target. Coming out of the windup, the right-hander fired a 98-mile-per-hour fastball for a strike on the outside corner and at the knees to Chicago Cubs switch-hitting center fielder Dexter Fowler.

Plawecki's mitt didn't move an inch.

Three pitches later, Syndergaard displayed his wicked curveball, a low and inside hook that grazed some chalk from the batter's box. Fowler tried to check his swing, but he went around and became Syndergaard's first strikeout victim. 

Though the Mets ultimately lost the ballgame 6-1, it was an overall encouraging debut for the 6'6", 240-pound hurler. He tossed 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs on six hits and four walks, while striking out six. 

The rookie traded zeros with Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta before getting tagged for three runs in the sixth inning. Jorge Soler led off that frame with a sharp single to center and was doubled home by Starlin Castro for the game's first run. Chris Coghlan then hit a two-run shot to right field, before Syndergaard struck out Arrieta and departed at 103 pitches.

Had it not been for Daniel Murphy's mental lapse in the third inning, however, Syndergaard's outing could have been more efficient.

Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press

With two away in the frame, Cubs phenom Kris Bryant hit what appeared to be a routine ground ball to third base. But Murphy took his time and Bryant hustled down the line to beat the throw for an infield single. After walking the next two batters to load the bases, Syndergaard coaxed a fly ball to right field from Soler for the inning's final out.

That Syndergaard managed to work out of trouble and bail out a teammate showed resilience. Still, Murphy's nonchalant approach on Bryant's grounder forced Syndergaard to throw 18 more pitches than he needed to. Otherwise, he might have been able to get through the sixth inning unscathed.

Nonetheless, Tuesday night should have Mets fans excited about a rotation that may next year consist of Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, Jacob DeGrom, Zack Wheeler (once he returns from Tommy John surgery) and Steven Matz—who could get called up from Triple-A at some point this summer. At 27 years of age, Harvey will be the oldest member of that group at the start of the 2016 season.

But pitching isn't the problem for the Mets even this year. Harvey is 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA. DeGrom—despite his recent struggles—has a respectable 3.46 ERA. Jon Niese's ERA stands at 1.95 and the ageless Bartolo Colon is 6-1 with a 3.30 ERA. Oh, by the way, he's walked just one batter in 46.1 innings, and that came on Opening Day.

Since its 11-game winning streak was snapped, New York is 7-10 and has scored more than three runs in just five of those games. That includes back-to-back 1-0 losses to the Washington Nationals. Furthermore, the Mets are hitting .236, better than just seven other major league teams, while only five clubs have scored less than the 124 runs New York has mustered on the season.

Starting catcher Travis d'Arnaud—out with a fractured right hand—is still a few weeks away from returning to the team, according to ESPN's Adam Rubin, and David wright suffered a setback, experiencing lower back pain while rehabbing from a right hamstring strain. 

At .333 and .317, Wright and d'Arnaud, respectively, have the highest batting averages on the team. Aside from Lucas Duda (.286) and Juan Lagares (.276), Wilmer Flores' .245 is the highest among everyday players.

Yes, the Mets are still in first place in the National League East with a 20-13 record, but the Nationals are just 2.5 games back, and they're 8-2 in their last 10 games after a poor start. The Mets, meanwhile, are probably somewhere in between the team that started 13-3 and the one that's struggled over the last few weeks. 

So until they pick things up offensively or Sandy Alderson makes a splash and trades for a big middle-of-the-order bat, the Mets won't be serious contenders, no matter how good their pitching is.