Electric Nolan McLean Headlines D-backs' Tough Mets Pitching Matchups

The Arizona Diamondbacks are struggling. They have not won a series since taking two out of three from the Blue Jays on April 19.

This weekend, they'll get a look at one of the weakest on-paper teams in baseball: the 14-23 New York Mets. The Mets, however, have won four of their last six games, with back-to-back series wins against the Angels and Rockies.

New York will trot out two of their top pitchers for the upcoming series at Chase Field. Below are the pitching matchups for the three-game set:

Friday, May 8: RHP Ryne Nelson vs RHP Nolan McLean

May 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean (26) throws in the first inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

McLean will certainly be the most exciting arm the D-backs will face in this series. The 24-year-old right-hander has a 2.97 ERA on the season, with some of the most mind-bending stuff in baseball.

McLean's sweeper is the stuff of nightmares for opposing hitters, who have a .184 expected batting average and .220 expected slugging percentage against the hard-breaking offering. His fastball-sinker combo, meanwhile, climbs easily into the upper 90s.

McLean has faced the D-backs once in his career, giving up two runs in 6.1 innings on April 3. Despite allowing just three hits and striking out eight, Arizona managed to hand him the loss.

Ryne Nelson, meanwhile, pitched a bounce-back start in his most recent outing, allowing just one run over the course of 5.2 innings against a tough Cubs lineup. That lowered his ERA to 6.61.

Nelson's four-seam fastball command was much-improved in that start, and looked like the weapon it's been through his career. He does, however, have an intriguing new pitch in his arsenal.

Saturday, May 9: RHP Merrill Kelly vs RHP Clay Holmes

May 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly (29) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

Merrill Kelly just hasn't looked like himself this season, but his last start showed flashes of the command D-backs fans are used to seeing out of the veteran righty.

Unfortunately, the results did not reflect that, and Kelly clearly began to lose hold of his command as that outing grew long. That length remains a concern.

Kelly holds a 9.95 ERA on the season, but owns a career 3.14 ERA against Pittsburgh, who he most recently held to two runs (one earned) in 6.2 innings in July of 2025.

And on the Mets' side, Clay Holmes has been their ace this season. Though not carrying the same flash as McLean, the right-hander has pitched to a stellar 1.69 ERA in 42.2 innings. His peripherals suggest a bit of good batted ball luck, but there's no denying he's been very effective in 2026.

Arizona has never faced Holmes as a starting pitcher, but have him to a 6.43 ERA during his career as a reliever.

Sunday, May 10: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez vs TBA

Apr 22, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (57) throws against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Speaking of sneaky aces, that's what Eduardo Rodriguez has been for the D-backs this season, and he delivered his best start of the year his last time out against the Pirates.

In the midst of a rotation-wide slump, Rodriguez dealt seven scoreless innings against the Pirates with seven strikeouts and two base hits allowed on the way to a 9-0 win.

His ERA on the season lowered to an impressive 2.50. Rodriguez has yet to allow more than four runs in an outing, and has thrown seven scoreless on two occasions, with a 3-0 record on the year.

As of this writing, the Mets have not yet announced a starter for Thursday's game.

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