Syndergaard ‘on his way’ to being elite pitcher

NEW YORK — Veterans in the Mets’ clubhouse agree: The term “ace” is thrown about too lightly in today’s game. Some fans believe every club has an ace. Purists tend to opine that in all of baseball, only six or seven such pitchers exist.

“When I think of ace, I think of the team’s elite,” Mets third baseman David Wright said. “I don’t just think of a team’s No. 1 starter. There’s a handful out there. Not every team has one.”

Wright spoke those words in the aftermath of the Mets’ 3-1 win over the Brewers on Sunday, when Noah Syndergaard racked up 11 strikeouts over seven more superlative innings. That came during an afternoon in which New York’s bullpen was gassed, on the eve of a first-place showdown in Washington. Still thinking about aces, the Mets’ third baseman nodded across the room at Syndergaard’s locker.

“He’s on his way,” Wright said.

No one at this point questions Syndergaard’s ability. Quantitatively, his stuff is the best in baseball; over half of the pitches he threw against the Brewers were 97 mph or faster, including six offerings of at least 99. Syndergaard throws his slider in the low- to mid-90s and trusts it, too. His changeup is harder than many pitchers’ fastballs. His curveball does not dare dip down into the 70s.

At this point, Wright says, the only difference between …

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