Mets' emerging star accomplishes something not done in 37 years

New York Mets star Nolan McLean is off to one of the best starts by a pitcher in MLB history.

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New York Mets were active ahead of the trade deadline, but they failed to address one of their needs: starting pitching.

This failure left manager Carlos Mendoza in a tough spot because the team’s current rotation wasn’t getting the job done consistently. Looking for a spark, the team decided to take a chance on one of their top pitching prospects.

On August 16 against the Seattle Mariners, Nolan McLean made his first start. There was some debate about which prospect to call up, with Brandon Sproat also being in the mix; scouts believed the Mets made the right call, and they have been proven right in his outings since. The team’s No. 3 overall prospect and No. 1 pitching prospect was thrown right into the fire, going up against an American League playoff team and two hated division rivals in his first three career starts.

The moment wasn’t too bright for the talented righty. In his major league debut, McLean mowed down a Mariners team that had been red hot not too long before facing off against the Mets. 5.1 shutout innings were thrown, with only two hits and four walks allowed, along with eight strikeouts.

In his second start, McLean was introduced to the Mets' heated rivalry against the Atlanta Braves. He responded positively again, throwing seven innings and allowing just two runs on four hits without issuing a walk. The 24-year-old struck out seven batters and history was made.

Nolan McLean continues historic start to career with Mets

John Jones-Imagn Images

McLean wasn’t done making history, with his third start providing plenty of it as well. With New York looking to sweep the Philadelphia Phillies and climb even closer in the NL East standings, McLean threw another gem, shutting down a prolific Phillies offense with the best start of his young career.

Read More: Mets sweep Phillies behind Nolan McLean's historic night

The right-hander threw eight shutout innings, and didn’t walk a single batter while allowing only four hits for the second consecutive outing. Six more strikeouts were recorded, as he became the first Mets starting pitcher to win their first three major league starts. He ended it with the poise of a multi-year veteran, getting two easy flyouts and a dribbler he fielded after allowing back-to-back singles to begin the eighth inning.

However, that wasn’t the only impressive history that McLean matched following his third start. According to OptaSTATS, he has accomplished something that hasn’t been done in 37 years. The last pitcher to win each of their first three career starts with 20+ innings, 20 strikeouts+, and an opponent’s batting average under .200 was Randy Johnson with the Montreal Expos.

Nolan McLean of the @Mets is the first MLB pitcher to have:

3-0 record
20+ innings
20+ strikeouts
sub-.200 opp BA

...over his first 3 career starts since Randy Johnson in 1988. pic.twitter.com/6j2xOoIKW8

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) August 28, 2025

Any time a pitcher is doing something the Hall of Famer has done, they are doing something right. McLean is off to an incredible start to his MLB career and is doing his part in helping the Mets solidify their standing as a playoff team this season. He has a 0.89 ERA in 20.1 innings with 21 strikeouts, already looking like an ace.