MLB

Noah Syndergaard’s electric stuff blows away Mets brass

PORT ST. LUCIE — He packed some serious heat, but Noah’s arc was downright scary.

Or as Mets manager Terry Collins gushed after watching stud pitching prospect Noah Syndergaard’s initial bullpen session of spring training on Monday: “This kid is throwing 97 mph with a hook from hell — really impressive.”

With principal owner Fred Wilpon, general manager Sandy Alderson and Collins among those watching from behind a lineup of mounds at the Mets’ spring training complex, the 21-year-old Syndergaard’s 40-pitch session was the most anticipated event on the first day of workouts for pitchers and catchers.

The right-hander was told by Collins not to push too hard, but admitted the adrenaline kicked in once he stepped on the mound.

“I was pretty amped up,” Syndergaard said.

The expectation is Syndergaard will follow the path taken by Matt Harvey and Zack Wheeler the last two years and join the Mets in June or July. But Syndergaard said his job is to make the decision as difficult as possible when team brass chooses an Opening Day roster.

As it stands, the Mets have Wheeler, Bartolo Colon, Jon Niese and Dillon Gee penciled into the rotation, with Daisuke Matsuzaka, John Lannan and Jenrry Mejia as the main competitors for the fifth spot.

With Syndergaard’s workload likely to be capped around 145 innings this season, his appearances for Triple-A Las Vegas could be limited in length. According to a club source, Syndergaard may face plenty of five-inning starts for Las Vegas.

Syndergaard — who arrived with Travis d’Arnaud in the trade that sent R.A. Dickey to the Blue Jays before last season — split 2013 between Single-A St. Lucie and Double-A Binghamton. Overall, he was 9-4 with a 3.06 ERA and struck out 133 batters in 117 ²/₃ innings.

“Right now I’m going into camp hoping to make the starting rotation,” Syndergaard said. “But if not, I know there is a bigger picture involved, and when the organization thinks I’m ready is when I’ll officially be ready, and I’ll look forward to being in New York.”

At 6-foot-6, 240 pounds, Syndergaard is certainly an imposing presence.

“When you hear the guys on the team that are big saying, ‘My God, look at the size of this guy,’ that’s what is impressive,” Collins said.

Syndergaard indicated he spent much of the offseason trying to refine a changeup that can complement his fastball, curve and slider. He indicated he threw eight to 10 changeups on Monday and liked the results.

“I kind of impressed myself a little bit,” Syndergaard said.

There may not be a bullpen session by a Mets pitcher that gets as scrutinized this spring.

“I remember last year throwing my first bullpen and being pretty nervous as well,” Syndergaard said. “But this year really trumps it all. It was really nothing compared to this, having all the reporters and the brass in town. It was really cool.”

Especially given the circumstances, Syndergaard owned the day.

“With the headlines that he’s had, and everybody is standing around, it’s human nature to try and impress everybody, and he did,” Collins said. “He didn’t need to, because it’s going to count during the games, but he’s certainly a very impressive kid and exciting to watch.”