Noah Syndergaard explains reason for leaving Mets, 'whirlwind of emotions' returning to Citi Field

It’s been 313 days since Noah Syndergaard pitched for the Mets. 

It’s been even longer since he’s stepped on the mound at Citi Field, but Friday he was back in Flushing only this time in the dugout across from where he spent his first seven seasons in the big leagues.

“It really hasn’t sunk in yet. I’m still taking it all in. It’s awesome to see the staff and the guys on the other side,” Syndergaard said of his return to Citi Field. “Should be a really exciting series.”

The 29-year-old said he has been able to catch up with some of the players he grew close to while with the Mets including Jacob deGrom, Carlos Carrasco and Tomas Nido along with the team’s medical performance staff.

“It’s great witnessing and seeing their success from a distance. I still root for those guys on the other side.

“It’s been a whirlwind of emotions, but I think this move is going to be good for me,” he added.

The move Syndergaard is referring to is returning to the east coast after being traded from the Los Angeles Angels to the Philadelphia Phillies at the trade deadline.

Prior to that, the 6-foot-6 starter signed a one-year $21 million deal with the Angels in the offseason, leaving the Mets in free agency. However, Syndergaard has not had the bounce-back season he was hoping for. 

After missing all of 2020 and most of 2021 due to Tommy John surgery, Syndergaard languished in Los Angeles posting a 5-8 record with a 3.83 ERA over 15 starts. 

But now, a new team means a new start for Syndergaard and he hopes to make the most of it. The return to Queens, he hopes, is the start of a new chapter after the bewildering way he left the only team he knew in the majors.

On Friday, the pitcher finally dove into the reason why he did.

“Part of the reason why I made the move to the Angels on the west coast… that energy that could make New York so great and positive could also bite you in the butt a little bit,” he said. “Especially with what I’m going through right now, a dip in velocity, still trying to rely on location and mixing things up, and I feel like if I was doing that playing here, everything would be highlighted. That was a big fear of mine.”

Syndergaard says that he wanted to get his bearings underneath him after pitching just two innings in two years prior to this season and getting back to “feeling like my old self.”

Pitching with the Angels, Syndergaard said he felt like there were only three reporters there and it’s a lot different from the “cutthroat” feeling of playing in New York, which was a lot to deal with when he’s just getting back from a major injury.

Now in Philadelphia, Syndergaard sees a lot of similarities between the passionate fan bases and there’s no regrets in leaving the team in free agency seeing how well the Mets are playing this season.

In fact, Syndergaard feels returning to a big market like Philly will help him develop even further.

“You can have good stress and bad stress,” he said. “It’s going to get me out of my comfort zone again and the pressure and excitement of playing in a big market is where I thrive and embrace when I was playing here and I feel like it’s going to take my game to the next level.”

The Mets plan to play a video tribute for Syndergaard before the game, and he hopes there’s a positive reception from the fans but, like the rest of us, he’ll just have to wait and see when the Mets open a three-game series against the Phillies on Friday night.