SAN DIEGO — Can a star pitcher and outfielder share an apartment without driving each other crazy?
Noah Syndergaard and Michael Conforto aren’t exactly an odd couple. Both are 23 years old and elite young talents for a Mets team with designs on winning a World Series. They are also roommates, sharing a two-bedroom Manhattan apartment overlooking the East River.
“It’s pretty awesome, we have a nice little balcony,” Syndergaard said.
In another era, before escalating player salaries, teammates living together was not uncommon. Syndergaard and Conforto are throwbacks. Not only do they share a residence, they drive together to and from Citi Field for Mets home games. Conforto, who has the only car between the two, does all the driving.
Conforto began living in the apartment last year, after arriving to the Mets in late July. Once the season ended, he was in the market for a roommate.
“[Syndergaard] texted me in the offseason and asked if I wanted to live with him, and I was thinking about doing the same thing, anyway,” Conforto said. “I was going to text him, but he beat me to the punch, so we looked around a little bit and ended up choosing to stay in the place that I stayed toward the end of last year.”
It’s hard to envision two more talented roommates. Syndergaard enters his scheduled start against the Padres on Friday sporting a 2-1 record with a 2.51 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 32 1/3 innings. The righty nicknamed “Thor” has created a buzz throughout the game with his 100-mph heat and newly perfected slider that he throws harder than most other pitchers’ fastballs.
Conforto, who was moved to the No. 3 hole in the Mets lineup in mid-April, has a .301/.383/.548 slash line with four homers and 18 RBIs.
Shop talk is mostly off limits once the duo return home from work.
“We don’t talk too much about baseball,” Conforto said. “On the car ride home, we’ll talk a little bit about the game, but once we get back we kind of chill out, stay away from baseball. We’ve been watching ‘Game of Thrones’ now that it’s come back. He’s a big fan of that and I started watching last year, so that’s a big thing.”
Syndergaard enjoys the camaraderie.
“[Conforto] is fun to be around and we keep each other from going insane,” Syndergaard said, joking that he and Conforto have bunkbeds on the road.
Conforto calls Syndergaard a “great roommate.” Part of that might stem from the fact Syndergaard gives his roomie so much space.
“He’s always doing something,” Conforto said. “He likes to get out — he’s usually gone by the time I’m up in the morning. He’s out getting his juices or trying out new restaurants, so he’s all over the place. He definitely likes to get out and explore, and it has also surprised me how much into nutrition he is. The stuff he puts in his body, he knows exactly what’s going in, so everything has got a purpose, it’s pretty cool.”
As can be expected, cooking is not a forte of the roomies, but there has been talk of Syndergaard embracing his Texas roots and Conforto his Italian heritage.
“[Syndergaard] says he makes good chili, so we’ll see,” Conforto said. “I can do pasta and some sausage.”
Maybe that cooking will be on display when Conforto and Syndergaard finally get around to inviting their teammates to check out the views from their balcony.
“We haven’t been home too much yet, but we’re planning on it,” Conforto said. “I know the guys want to come see the place.”