CINCINNATI _ Noah Syndergaard came away from another mediocre start over the weekend with a new desire to implement an old idea: elevate his fastball, not his pitch count.
Manager Mickey Callaway said he and pitching coach Dave Eiland have spoken with Syndergaard since spring training about that idea _ occasionally turning his heat into high heat _ to add a little something extra to his repertoire.
But it's easier said than done, especially for someone like Syndergaard, whose height (6-6) and mechanics make for a downhill delivery.
"He's kind of gotten to the point where he's willing to try it and work on it in the bullpen, see if he can take it into the game," Callaway said. "He's so tall and he leverages the ball so good, sometimes it may be difficult for him to get the ball up there."
Syndergaard said Sunday he is open to the idea because he thinks hitters step to the plate knowing he throws strikes and throws low in the zone. And there might be something to that feeling of predictability. Hitters this year are batting .323 and slugging .581 against Syndergaard's four-seamer, according to Brooks Baseball. Last year, those numbers were .250 and .250 (in an injury-abbreviated season). The year before, .248 and .386.
Jacob deGrom has spoken after recent starts of a similar tactic, and he's far from the only one to try throwing fastballs up. With so many hitters tweaking their swings to lift the ball more _ launch angle is the buzz phrase _ pitchers seem to be throwing higher to induce weak contact (or no contact).
Now Syndergaard wants to try it in an effort to be more effective. He hasn't been bad per se _ he has a 3.09 ERA and 1.20 WHIP _ but also hasn't been the dominant Syndergaard that he, his team and his fans have come to expect.
It's a work in process for Syndergaard.
"A guy like Jacob deGrom, who's getting really spread out, it's a little easier for him because that's where he tends to miss, up," Callaway said. "(Syndergaard is) so steep in his delivery and being able to throw the ball almost straight downhill, that it would probably be a little more difficult for him than most."
