A TO Z: N is for...

Noah Syndergaard, the pitcher with the superhero nickname, and early in his career, nearly superhero skills.  Drafted by the Blue Jays and traded to the Mets in the RA Dickey deal, he debuted in 2015, the year the Mets won their most recent pennant and finished 4th for NL Rookie of the Year (and earned New York its only victory in that fall's World Series).  Big seasons were on tap in '16 and '18, sandwiched around an injury-wrecked 2017; three years later Tommy John Surgery cost him nearly two full seasons.

Signing as a free agent with the Angels, he went 5-8 with diminished velocity before a deadline trade to the Phillies, where he went 5-2 and helped break their post-season drought.  Surprisingly, the Dodgers made him the most appealing offer as he heads back to the West Coast next year.

But the big question: how did he become known as Thor? While there could be some inspiration in his trademark long, flowing hair, the answer stems from a 2013 Halloween tweet that shows him squatting while dressed as the Marvel character.



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