Emerging ace a no-brainer pick as Mets' best player under age 25

The New York Mets look to have one of the best young pitchers in baseball on their staff.

Brett Davis-Imagn Images

There is going to be a lot of attention given to the New York Mets' pitching staff this offseason, namely their starting rotation.

A major reason the Mets suffered such an epic collapse down the stretch was the inconsistent performance of their starters. They went on a historic streak with the inability to work deep into games, consistently failing to finish at least six innings.

Read More: Mets’ internal starting rotation options in 2026

That put a lot of pressure on the bullpen, which was taxed by the end of the season. New York did make a last-ditch effort to save their rotation, calling up several exciting young arms for the final weeks of the season.

Alas, it wasn’t enough to save the 2025 campaign. But the group of Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat will certainly be counted on to help avoid a repeat of this issue in 2026 and beyond.

Nolan McLean considered Mets' best player under 25 years old

Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Out of that trio, McLean, who debuted first on August 16 against the Seattle Mariners, was the most impressive. As such, it should come as no surprise that he was selected by Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report as the team’s best player under the age of 25.

A third-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma State University, McLean was showcasing some eye-popping metrics in the minor leagues with insane spin rates. That success he experienced in Triple-A carried right over to the big leagues.

The 24-year-old was dominant in his debut against the Seattle Mariners, the same team that is up 2-0 in the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays. He threw 5.1 shutout innings with eight strikeouts, allowing only two hits while issuing four walks.

That was just the beginning of his dominance. He would end up making eight starts in the regular season, throwing 48 innings and recording an impressive 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. 57 batters were punched out, and in all but one start, he allowed two or fewer earned runs.

Nolan McLean to begin his MLB career:

4-0
26.1 IP
1.37 ERA
28 K

Retired his last 14 batters faced today to become the first MLB pitcher since 2014 to win each of his first four starts. pic.twitter.com/C9xFFdfhTx

— MetsMuse (@MetsMuse) September 3, 2025

Had the Mets qualified for the postseason, there is a good chance that McLean would have been toeing the rubber for Game 1. Inexperience aside, he earned that chance with how well he pitched down the stretch.

He wasn’t going up against any slouches, either. Five of his eight starts were against playoff teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies twice. McLean was also introduced to the Mets' heated rivalry against the Atlanta Braves in just the second start of his career. Even with this trial by fire, the righty shined.

With his rookie status still intact, it would not be a surprise if McLean entered 2026 as the favorite for the National League Rookie of the Year Award. It would certainly be warranted with the start he has gotten off to in his major league career.