2. More Young, Hard Throwers Looming
The Royals may have gotten to Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom, but they still have a couple more studs to go through. Noah Syndergaard will start Game 3 and he is the hardest thrower of the group. So far, Noah has been brilliant in the playoffs, showing now signs of any jitters while flashing some electric stuff.
Steven Matz will start Game 4, and while he didn’t last past the fifth inning in his two playoff starts, he does have lots of potential and throws hard as well. I won’t be surprised if he actually has a 2010 Madison Bumgarner moment in Game 4. Bumgarner, then a rookie, shut down the Texas Rangers in 8 innings in Game 4 of the 2010 World Series, which started his legendary postseason resume.
So far, the Royals tendency to not strike out and put the ball in play has been too much for even the Mets power starters. But can they keep doing it against more young hard throwers, including the hardest thrower in the game?
