The reigning National League-champion Mets are headed to the postseason for the second consecutive year after winning the first NL Wild Card. As this will be the first time that many fans across the Majors will be focusing on their roster, here's our attempt to learn the origins of ace Noah Syndergaard.
Noah Syndergaard, RHP
Born: Mansfield, Texas
DOB: 8/29/1992
HS: Mansfield Legacy (Texas) High School
Minors: GCL Blue Jays (R), Bluefield (R), Vancouver (A-), Lansing (A), St. Luicie (A+), Binghamton (AA), Las Vegas (AAA)
Path to New York: Was selected by the Blue Jays in the first round of the 2010 Draft; traded to the Mets with Wuilmer Beccerra, John Buck and Travis d'Arnaud for R.A. Dickey, Mike Nickeas and Josh Thole in 2012.
Trophy case: All-Star in 2016.
:: Before they were postseason-bound: Select a player ::
Famous feat(s): Syndergaard belted two homers against the Dodgers on May 11, while also holding LA to two runs over eight innings. He became the first big league pitcher to go deep twice in a game since Arizona's Micah Owings in 2007 and just the second Met to do it.
"He goes out there, he's throwing 100 [mph] and he's hitting home runs at night to the opposite field at Dodger Stadium," Mets second baseman Neil Walker said. "Those are legendary-type things."
You might not know: In his big league debut, Syndergaard batted eighth. He's only the third pitcher in the last 100 years to debut in a game without a designated hitter and not bat from the nine spot.
Six degrees of Willie Aikens: Syndergaard is one of two players from Mansfield Legacy High School making a name at the professional level. Wide receiver Josh Doctson, who was a year behind Syndergaard, was a first-round pick of the Washington Redskins this spring.
Dog of Thunder: Syndergaard has earned the nickname "Thor" for his resemblance to the hammer-wielding Norse god, whose home planet of Asgard echoes Syndergaard's last name. His family has an Australian spaniel who was named "Thor" before Syndergaard received the nickname.
Favorite shows: Syndergaard's favorite TV series are "Breaking Bad" and "Game of Thrones." He's even named some of his gloves after characters from those shows, including Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow and Heisenberg. Lion Drago from "Rocky IV," Rick Grimes from "The Walking Dead" as well as Thor and Loki are also represented in leather.