In 55 appearances for the New York Mets, right-handed pitcher Noah Syndergaard has hammered away at hitters, notching a 2.89 earned run average and tallying 384 strikeouts in 333 innings. Come July 22, the National League East club will mesh with Marvel Comics for a Thor bobblehead promotion that will acknowledge the All-Star hurler’s allegiance and physical similarity to one of the publisher’s most popular superheroes.
The first 15,000 fans will receive the item ahead of the team’s tilt versus the Oakland Athletics, with Citi Field sure to be the envy of the giveaway world that evening. The occasion will mark the first time that the entertainment industry giant has paired itself with an MLB franchise to honor a player, and because of the clout that Syndergaard has claimed in only two seasons, it appears the duo could have a huge hit on its hands.
The 6-foot-6 presence, who donned a Thor costume during a 2013 Halloween training session, thus helping to cement his cherished nickname, has won 23 games and solidified himself as a feared fire-baller with boundless potential. The 24-year-old, to whom Sports Illustrated devoted a February profile, reacted favorably to the idea, saying “I’m thrilled that many of our fans will be able to take this home and extremely honored that Marvel decided to work with us on this project.”
The bobblehead representation should go a long way to helping the budding star to explore his infatuation with the Norse mythology-inspired character. Along with the workout depiction, Syndergaard has put on the garb for a SportsNet New York promotion and an episode of “Kevin Can Wait.” The Mets took to Twitter on Monday to offer a concept art look at the tribute, drawing nearly 700 retweets so far.
Here is your first 👀 at the @Noahsyndergaard–#Thor Bobblehead that we’ll giveaway on 7/22 thanks to @Marvel. 👊 https://t.co/E8bLdbrjPM pic.twitter.com/HhvPqPGvH9
— New York Mets (@Mets) March 13, 2017
While the giveaway will not happen for more than four months, wondering whether Syndergaard will take to the mound that night is certainly going to be as fun for fans as predicting where their team will end up in the standings following their 2015 World Series runner-up finish and last year’s second-place division run. What is definite, though, is that he will open their campaign April 3 in a home game versus Atlanta.
