McLean shows grit, graduates from prospect status in season debut
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NEW YORK -- Nolan McLean’s season debut began rocky and was far from perfect. And yet he still showed why he’s such a well-regarded young pitcher.
McLean struck out eight batters over five innings in his 2026 debut, allowing two earned runs and taking a no-decision in the Mets' 4-3, 10-inning loss to the Pirates. Along the way, he continued to feature some increased fastball velocity, firing three pitches of at least 98 mph after throwing just one of those last year in the Majors.
“He didn’t have a good feel for his pitches pretty much until like the fourth inning,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said. “And he was able to go out there and compete, continue to battle and kept us in the game. He found a way.”
Things didn’t begin swimmingly for McLean, who threw seven of his first eight pitches outside the strike zone and walked the first two batters he faced. From McLean’s vantage point on the mound, his pitches were moving more than normal, and it took him too long to find the proper sightline to guide them into the zone.
That resulted in a first-inning run on a Ryan O’Hearn RBI single, but McLean settled down to retire six straight from the first through third innings. Brandon Lowe’s solo homer broke that streak, resulting in the other run against McLean. He threw 84 pitches (52 strikes) on the afternoon.
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“Obviously, I didn’t have much feel early in the game of the sinkers,” McLean said. “But it started to come back to me later in the game, mixing some four-[seams] and some two-[seams]. I was able to get some quick outs late there in the game.”
McLean, 24, was the Mets’ top-ranked prospect before losing his Pipeline eligibility in the middle of Sunday’s outing because he exceeded 50 career innings. He made his Major League debut last August, producing a 2.06 ERA over eight electric starts down the stretch. It was enough to earn him a starting gig for Team USA during the World Baseball Classic this March. McLean started two games for the Americans, including the championship against Venezuela in which he took a no-decision.