Noah Syndergaard's Perfecto Tease Highlights Thor's Rapid Rise Up Mets' Rotation

Noah Syndergaard wasn't perfect on Tuesday night, but the New York Mets' sensational rookie came pretty darn close. 

Syndergaard retired the first 18 San Diego Padres hitters he faced before Will Venable interrupted history with a single up the middle. 

In the end, the kid they call "Thor" finished with eight shutout innings and allowed just three hits with nine strikeouts and no walks. Talk about lowering the hammer.

That brand of filthiness has become commonplace for the 22-year-old budding ace, who has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last six starts. He's been even more dominant of late at Citi Field, per the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN Stats & Info):

Overall, Syndergaard has shaved his ERA to 2.70 and raised his stock in a loaded Mets rotation.

Reigning Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom owns the title of ace. He leads the starting staff in innings pitched, strikeouts, ERA and WHIP, and showed the world what he's capable of with a dazzling 10-pitch, three-strikeout inning at the All-Star Game in Cincinnati.

Matt Harvey is the nominal No. 2, and he's acquitting himself nicely, posting a 3.16 ERA with 116 strikeouts in 125.1 innings during his Tommy John comeback campaign. 

Syndergaard, though, is staking his claim as one of New York's top arms. 

"I don't think any of us could have predicted the rise to where he's at this fast," Mets skipper Terry Collins said, per ESPN's Kieran Darcy. "All the reports we got on him [from the minor leagues] were: good arm, command needs to be helped, secondary pitches sometimes are ineffective. I gotta tell you something, this guy has not shown any of that here."

Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

More than anything, Syndergaard has displayed the poise needed to succeed at the highest level.

Tuesday night served up a prime example. After Venable broke up the perfect game, Syndergaard betrayed little, if any, emotion. And when the next batter, Yangervis Solarte, poked an infield single with Venable advancing to third on an error by shortstop Ruben Tejada, Syndergaard maintained his composure.

He'll need more of the same as the Mets march toward their first postseason appearance since 2006. With Tuesday's win and a loss by the division-leading Washington Nationals, New York sits just one game out of first place in the National League East.

The Mets' success has come despite an offense that ranks dead last in the Senior Circuit in runs scored.

On Friday, New York did acquire veteran third baseman Juan Uribe and utility man Kelly Johnson from the Atlanta Braves, and more moves to add bats may be in the offing.

For now, however, the Mets will succeed or fail on the strength of their arms. 

"The starting rotation we have here is probably the best in the game, in my opinion," reliever Tyler Clippard, who came over in a deal with the Oakland A's on Monday, told Fred Kerber of the New York Post.

And yet, Tuesday's game could have been all about the negative, as Kerber pointed out:

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The attention should have been on a pennant race. Or David Wright's pregame workout presence. But instead, the Mets received their latest kick to the gut with the stunning announcement of bag-o'-bricks-brained former closer Jenrry Mejia's 162-game suspension by Major League Baseball for a second PED transgression.

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Thanks to Syndergaard, Mejia's suspension became a footnote. Instead, we're all left imagining the damage this rotation could do come October, assuming the Mets get that far.

It's still an assumption. If New York can't catch the Nats for the division flag, it'll be in for a wild-card dogfight with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs (assuming neither of those clubs overtakes the St. Louis Cardinals in the NL Central) and the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants (assuming they don't overtake the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West).

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

But the mere fact that the Mets are in the thick of the playoff race is a coup unto itself. And with their stockpile of young arms, the future is bright.

Syndergaard may not have been perfect on Tuesday, but he offered a perfectly good reason for the Queens faithful to dream big.

All statistics current as of July 28 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.