Inside The Mets

Bryce Harper Gives Interesting Nolan McLean Take Before World Baseball Classic Loss

Team USA star Bryce Harper spoke about Nolan McLean before the fateful World Baseball Classic game on March 10.
Grant Young|
Team USA outfielder Bryce Harper
Team USA outfielder Bryce Harper | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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New York Mets

New York Mets star pitcher Nolan McLean did not have the 2026 World Baseball Classic debut that he was hoping for on March 10.

McLean was Team USA's starting pitcher for their contest against Team Italy and struggled, conceding 3 earned runs on 2 hits (both of which were home runs), 2 walks, and 4 strikeouts on 3 innings pitched. This put the USA squad in a 3-0 deficit, which eventually became 8-0 by the sixth inning.

While the USA scored 6 runs in the final four innings, they still lost by a score of 8-6. As a result, Team USA now needs Italy to beat Mexico on March 11 to advance to the knockout round. The USA would also advance if Mexico wins and if Italy gives up five runs or more and loses. But Italy and Mexico would advance if Italy loses but gives up four or fewer runs.

Nobody can fault McLean for one poor outing, and there's a case to be made that Team USA's generationally talented offense should have produced more runs in the first two-thirds of the game.

Still, McLean is under more scrutiny than he has ever been in his professional career right now after underperforming in the biggest start of his career on the international stage.

United States starting pitcher Nolan McLean
United States starting pitcher Nolan McLean | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Bryce Harper Praises Nolan McLean Before Team USA WBC Outing

Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper was a pinch hitter during Tuesday's loss and got out in one lone at-bat.

Harper will have to get used to facing McLean in the coming years. He's already 1 for 6 with 3 strikeouts against the 24-year-old in his big league career. Harper spoke with SNY's Michelle Margaux before the USA faced Italy on March 10 and was asked about what he remembers from facing McLean.

"Yeah, I told him the other day, I don't give pitchers very much credit, obviously, as a hitter. But I think he was the best arm I saw last year. Just kind of the way he presents himself out there, obviously. Just the pitches he throws, and he commands the zone so well. Just really good. Really good," Harper said of McLean.

This praise from Harper shows that Tuesday's outing was just a blip on the radar for McLean, who is almost certain to bounce back in a big way in his next outing for Team USA—so long as they advance to the World Baseball Classic's knockout round.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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