Mets Fans Shouldn’t Panic About Nolan McLean’s Rough Outing Against Nationals

New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean (26) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. | Rafael Suanes-Imagn Images

Expectations for Nolan McLean were through the roof this season. The Mets standout rookie was expected to place his name among the MLB's elite while leading the Mets rotation alongside Freddy Peralta.

McLean was living up to the hype early, but recent struggles have suddenly turned a rowdy fanbase against him, believing that maybe their beloved rookie pitcher is human after all.

His previous start against the Tigers was shaky, surrendering a three-run home run in the first inning before locking in to complete seven innings, allowing six hits with seven strikeouts while holding Detroit scoreless the rest of the way. It was considered a disappointing outing, at least by McLean’s standards.

But then a rare feat occurred on Tuesday: McLean was instantly provided with run support thanks to two home runs and four RBIs through two innings from Bo Bichette, catapulting the Mets to a 5-0 lead. In the bottom half of the second inning, James Wood delivered an inside-the-park grand slam, just the fourth to occur in the last 10 years. The ball tipped off the glove of rookie Nick Morabito while Tyrone Taylor watched the play unfold.

More mistakes followed over the next two innings, with the disastrous fourth inning beginning thanks to a wild throw from Marcus Semien that trickled into the outfield. The next play only made things worse — Bichette fired a bullet to Luis Torrens for a play at the plate, who failed to hang onto it, allowing two more runs to score, making it 9-5.

McLean stuck around into the sixth inning, ending his night by hitting CJ Abrams. The final stat line was the worst of his young career: 5 2/3 innings, eight hits, nine runs (six earned), five strikeouts and two walks. Entering the night, his ERA sat at 2.92, but it jumped to 3.57. Before the outing, McLean had never allowed more than five runs in a game.

Nolan McLean against the Nationals:

5.2 IP
8 H
6 ER
5 K
2 BB

McLean is human after all — his worst start ever.

ERA jumps to 3.57. pic.twitter.com/defGg5yxVX

— SleeperMets (@SleeperMets) May 20, 2026

"They made some pretty good swings on some decent pitches as well," said McLean following the loss. "Obviously, I didn't have my best stuff, but that's no excuse for not going out there and competing better than I did."

It was a night when the Mets desperately needed McLean to deliver, especially coming off a 12-inning game in which much of the bullpen was taxed. Another reason a quality start was crucial: the Mets are expected to rely on No. 13 prospect Zach Thornton on Wednesday, followed by a likely bullpen game Thursday, meaning their relief corps needed to be as fresh as possible.

Mets fans can have some perspective

For Mets fans, though, disappointing performances happen.

Remember that guy named Jacob deGrom?

Jun 6, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) pitches in the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Back in 2017, deGrom surrendered eight runs against the Rangers on a summer night that produced one of the most memorable photos of his career. He sat in the dugout with his head down while manager Terry Collins tried to console him.

In his very next start, deGrom threw a complete-game gem against the Cubs. From that Rangers disaster onward, his ERA dropped to 2.16, laying the foundation for the historic run that eventually earned him back-to-back NL Cy Young Awards in 2018 and 2019.

More than anything, Tuesday night may simply serve as a reminder that McLean is still a rookie. The expectations around him quickly turned from “promising young arm” to “ace of the staff,” and outings like this are bound to happen over a full MLB season. The Mets likely won’t change anything mechanically or rotationally, but fans may need to recalibrate expectations slightly. Utter dominance every fifth day simply isn’t realistic, even for elite young pitchers. It's taken 18 starts for McLean to submit a truly disappointing outing, and all signs point to this being a possible one-time outlier. But time will tell.