Did Noah Syndergaard Doctor the Baseball in Philly?
A video and a close-up picture have surfaced showing New York Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard may have used a sticky substance Monday when he pitched against the Philadelphia Phillies.
The video shows Syndergaard digging his index and and middle fingers in the heel of his glove before he gripped the ball. Syndergaard, who pitched five innings and allowed five runs and nine hits, has not commented on the allegation as of this writing. The Mets went on to win the game 7-6 in 11 innings.
Was Noah Syndergaard cheating last night? What was he doing with his two fingers? pic.twitter.com/9jhwxwhkpr
— Angelo Cataldi (@AngeloCataldi) April 16, 2019
The temperature in Philadelphia at first pitch was 50 degrees on Monday with a 24-mph wind. Gripping the ball may have been a problem under such autumn-like conditions. It’s not unusual for pitchers to use substances to enhance their grip but it is illegal.
Some batters are not against the use of these substances including Bryce Harper who told Bleacher Report, “I don’t want to get hit in the head or the face. So whatever they need out there, I’ll let them have it.”
It is certainly in the hitters best interest to have a pitcher like Syndergaard know where his pitches are going as he averaged 98.8 miles per hour on his fastball against the Phils.
Noah is pitching to a 5.63 ERA so far in 2019 and for the most part, has not been the dominating pitcher he has been in the past, so if he using a foreign substance, it doesn’t appear to be helping his performance very much.
This story will be updated by MMO has more information becomes available.