Noah Syndergaard has not pitched in Major League Baseball since 2023, and he hasn’t suited up for the Mets since 2021. Jacob deGrom, who’s putting together another strong year with the Rangers, hasn’t pitched for New York since 2022.
And yet, two of the mastheads of a bygone era in Queens are indirectly helping the Mets both present and future.
With the club still at the bottom of the NL East and in need of a quick spark, the Mets have started making moves, including a call-up of top prospect A.J. Ewing last week. They're expected to take another step, pushing No. 11 prospect Nick Morabito to the big-league club on Tuesday.
So, where do Syndergaard and deGrom fit into this? The Mets took Morabito with the 75th overall pick in the 2022 Draft, the pick they received as compensation when Syndergaard rejected a qualifying offer and signed with the Angels before the 2022 season.
Ewing, meanwhile, made his way to the organization via the 134th overall pick in the 2023 Draft, which the Mets received following deGrom’s departure to Texas.
Small world, eh?
Ewing has already started to make good on the organization’s high expectations for him, smacking an RBI triple in his debut and homering just days later.
The speedy Morabito will look to get his chance this week against the Nationals, as New York prepares for the second of a four-game series Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. ET.