Mets pitchers and catchers aren’t scheduled for their first workout until Feb. 11, but star rookie Nolan McLean is already down in Port St. Lucie, Fla., and was blowing pitches by hitters during his live batting practice session on Tuesday.
It sure beats shoveling snow.
“It's good to get out here and compete a little bit,” McLean said during an interview on SNY. “Got kind of snowed in in North Carolina for a little while, so getting down south and getting to warm weather, getting off a dirt mound, that’s always great.”
McLean, the No. 6 prospect in MLB and the game’s top pitching prospect, is preparing for his first big league camp after a whirlwind year that saw him make his Major League debut in August and dominate over 48 innings before an offseason in which he got married, moved into a new house and was named to Team USA for the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
“Yeah, it's been incredible,” he said. “I'm just super blessed and happy I get to go out and represent USA.”
Already possessing an outstanding curveball, McLean said he is focused in camp on improving his changeup and cutter, two pitches he used less than 10% of the time last year.
He’s doing that work alongside Freddy Peralta, who also arrived at the Mets’ spring complex a little early. Although McLean is excited to have Peralta on the staff, the trade to acquire him sent right-handed pitcher and good friend Brandon Sproat to Milwaukee. Sproat and McLean developed a bond after they were drafted just 35 picks apart by the Mets in 2023. McLean said he found out about the deal via social media -- “kind of out of nowhere” -- and talked to Sproat shortly afterward.
“I think he’s in a good spot,” McLean said. “I’m just rooting for him. Obviously, that's a good buddy of mine. You’re always just rooting for your friends as well, but we obviously trust our front office and the plans they have for us.”