Bryce Harper has walked 24 times in his last 45 plate appearances, beginning with a series against the Cubs when the Nationals right fielder was issued six free passes in one game.
It’s a pace that hasn’t been seen since the days of Barry Bonds, but at least one scout expects it to stop Tuesday night at Citi Field, where Noah Syndergaard will be on the mound for the Mets.
“Pitchers have obviously been very careful with Harper lately and we all understand why,” the NL scout said of the reigning NL MVP. “But anyone who has watched Syndergaard pitch knows he’s looking to go right at him.”
No doubt so will the faithful in Queens.
Syndergaard hasn’t disappointed this season and has walked just nine in 46 ¹/₃ innings in 2016 — and never more than two in any outing.
As important as the three games between the NL East foes this week figure to be, much of the focus in Tuesday’s series opener figures to be on the brightest stars on both teams.
Each is 23 years old (Syndergaard is less than two months older) and neither has shied away from the spotlight.
While Harper may be baseball’s most dynamic player at the plate, Syndergaard can thrill equally on the mound — and last week he thrilled at the plate, too, blasting two home runs against the Dodgers. (There’s no word on Max Scherzer’s approach to dealing with Syndergaard).
Last season, Harper went 3-for-9 off Syndergaard, struck out twice and was also hit by a pitch. Syndergaard faced the Nationals three times during his rookie season.
In his first outing July 22, he gave up one run — but walked five — in five innings, as the Mets lost 4-3 in Washington.
The right-hander followed that with an eight-inning gem on Aug. 2, a 5-2 victory in which he surrendered two runs, no walks and struck out nine.
His last appearance came Oct. 3, Syndergaard’s final outing of the regular season, when he gave up just one run — a homer to Clint Robinson- while striking out 10 in seven innings.
The Mets ended up losing the game, 3-1, thanks to Harper’s two-run homer off Addison Reed in the eighth.
