An unlikely source calls McLean 'the best arm I saw last year'
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It’s no surprise that Nolan McLean has Mets fans buzzing about his potential. But the hype train for New York’s pitching phenom has an unexpected passenger: Bryce Harper.
The Phillies slugger admittedly isn’t one to gush about pitchers, much less pitchers who play for the rival Mets. But he found himself raving about McLean during the World Baseball Classic, where the two played together for Team USA.
McLean (MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 overall prospect) only made eight starts for the Mets in 2025, but two of them came against the Phillies, and he allowed just one run with 11 K’s over 13 1/3 innings between them. Three of those strikeouts were against Harper, who clearly came away impressed by the 24-year-old.
“I don't give pitchers much credit, obviously, as a hitter, but I think he was the best arm I saw last year,” Harper said in an interview with SNY on March 10.
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That’s quite the endorsement considering all of the notable pitchers Harper faced in 2025, including both Cy Young Award winners, Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal.
Harper heaped more praise on McLean after the WBC final on Tuesday, which saw Venezuela pull off a 3-2 win for its first Classic title despite Harper’s game-tying two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. McLean started the game on the mound, allowing two runs and striking out four over 4 2/3 innings.
“Whenever you get down 2-0 it's tough, but I thought Mac threw the ball great,” Harper said. “He's a special talent. He's going to be a special talent for a long time.”
McLean opened a lot of eyes with his performance down the stretch last season, recording a 2.06 ERA with 57 strikeouts over 48 innings. He’ll enter 2026 as one of the favorites to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award, as well as an X-factor for the Mets' rotation as the team looks to leapfrog the Phillies in the NL East.