Dodgers: Noah Syndergaard Has Already Been Working to Regain Lost Velo

In 2016, Noah Syndergaard's four-seam fastball had an average velocity of 98.7 MPH, one of the fastest in baseball, especially for a starter. By 2019, it had dipped some, but it still averaged an impressive 97.8 MPH.

Then Syndergaard had Tommy John surgery, and in 2022, his first full season back, his four-seamer averaged just 94.1 MPH. He still had a reasonably successful season, but his velocity was alarmingly low compared to where it had been at its peak.

Syndergaard signed with the Dodgers last week, and in his introductory press conference on Monday, Thor talked about the work he's been putting in this offseason to try to regain his lost velocity. According to Fabian Ardaya in The Athletic, Syndergaard said his velocity had bounced back pretty well after surgery, but in April of 2021, he had a "setback" and the velo was gone.

Syndergaard has spent the months since trying to decipher why. Perhaps his body went into a “fight or flight” mode to protect his arm after the setback, he posited. Maybe it was the lack of a layoff due to his rehab, much of which took place during the pandemic-related shutdown. Hearing recommendations that his surgery had happened because he’d allowed his 6-foot-6, 242-pound frame to get too bulky, Syndergaard said he changed how he trained “to basically take the mound into the weight room.” ...

That work has continued into this winter, as Syndergaard has traversed between private facilities in search of a remedy. He went to a noted pitching factory at Tread Athletics in Charlotte, N.C., to start his throwing program. Then he went to another lauded pitching outpost, Driveline Baseball’s Arizona location. Shortly after the holidays, he’ll head to Dodger Stadium to work under the staff’s watchful eye, hopeful to get back to what he once was.

If Syndergaard can get his fastball back where it used to be, combined with Mark Prior's influence as pitching coach, he could be the steal of the offseason at $13 million. He's a very good pitcher — even when his fastball was popping mitts and eyes, he had multiple good secondary offerings — so if the Dodgers can help him maximize the "stuff" while optimizing the usage, it could be a thing of beauty.