Syndergaard Is the Next Dodgers Pitching Project

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December 14, 2022

Noah Syndergaard is the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ pitching project after he signed a one-year deal worth $13M. Jeff Passan was the first to report the deal that includes up to $1.5M in incentives. The Dodgers have a track record of turning struggling pitchers into great pitchers. Just in the last couple of years, the Dodgers have taken Tyler Anderson, Andrew Heaney, Yency Almonte, and Evan Phillips from mediocracy to dominance. The next pitcher on the list is Noah Syndergaard, who turned down bigger multi-year deals in order to come to LA on a one-year deal.

Syndergaard was signed by the Los Angeles Angels last season for $21M as he returned from Tommy John surgery. His return was delayed until the end of September 2021 after originally having the surgery on March 26, 2020. He signed a one-year deal with the Angels two months after his return. Unfortunately, that deal did not work out, and Syndergaard was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies. He pitched to an ERA of 3.85 (ERA+ 105) with only 64 strikeouts over 80 innings with the Angels. These numbers are not terrible, but nowhere near what he is capable of. Things did not go well with the Phillies either. His ERA ballooned to 4.12, WHIP to 1.32, and ERA+ dropped under 100. This made him an ideal candidate to be the next Dodgers pitching project.

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Dodgers’ Recent Pitching Projects

The Dodgers have successfully transformed the careers of several pitchers over the years. However, Anderson, Heany, Almonte, and Phillips are the most recent. Tyler Anderson signed a one-year contract with LA before the 2022 season. He had not had an ERA under 4.35 in his previous seven seasons. Anderson turned in a 2.57 ERA with 138 strikeouts, and a WHIP of 1.002–the lowest of his career. He also was selected to his first All-Star team. Anderson just signed a three-year contract with the Angels in November.

Andrew Heaney was another average pitcher who had not turned in a respectable ERA since 2015. He combined to pitch to a 5.83 ERA (76 ERA+) in 2021 between the Angels and New York Yankees. In his one year with the Dodgers, he turned in the lowest ERA of his career at 3.10 and the highest ERA+ of 136. Heaney turned that into a contract with the Texas Rangers for up to two years and $32M.

Yency Almonte and Evan Phillips also turned in the best seasons of their careers in 2022 after coming to the Dodgers. Almonte pitched to a 1.02 ERA (414 ERA+) and a .792 WHIP. His second-lowest WHIP in a full season was when he turned in a 1.559 in 2019. Phillips ended with an ERA of 1.14 (ERA+ of 367). His second-highest ERA+ was 130 in the season in which he came to the Dodgers for his last 10.1 innings of the season.

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The Syndergaard/Dodgers Pitching Project

In his best year to date, Syndergaard threw 183 2/3 innings of 2.60 ERA ball with 218 strikeouts and an ERA+ of 155. As a result, it was also his lone All-Star bid. He garnered Cy Young votes as well as MVP votes. However, last year Syndergaard pitched to a 3.94 ERA with only 95 strikeouts. Syndergaard clearly believes that the Dodgers can help him reach his full potential as they have done with many others. As he enters his age-30 season, he has placed a big bet on himself in the hopes of cashing in on one final multi-year contract that will extend through the remainder of his career. It will be exciting to watch.

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