Mets' Pitcher Poised to Become Breakout Star for Upcoming Season

Will this young New York Mets pitcher take the next step forward in 2026?

Jul 13, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a New York Mets hat and glove in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the eighth inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The New York Mets have finished their offseason very strong and should be pleased with what they have accomplished over the last couple of weeks. While some new faces will help, the team will also be hoping for some young talent to take a step forward.

Following a slow start to the winter, the Mets lost more players than they were able to bring in. Fortunately, that changed over the last couple of weeks as the roster has really started to take shape. 

New York will undoubtedly have high expectations in 2026 following what has now been a good winter. However, this is a team that will look a lot different compared to last year's group. The Mets will be relying not only on some of the new additions to succeed, but also on some of their young players to take the next step.

David Stearns and the front office have made it a priority to build a strong farm system, and the Mets saw some young talent emerge in 2025. Now, they will have one pitcher in particular who could make a significant jump forward and become a star.

David Adler of MLB recently wrote about some players poised for stardom and breakout campaigns in 2025. For the Mets, young right-hander Nolan McLean was predicted to take that massive step forward.

McLean Can Become a Star

New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Mets' collapse in 2025 was mostly because of the struggles of the starting rotation, and the team tried to give the rotation a jolt by bringing up some of their talented young arms. This led to the emergence of McLean, who quickly proved that he was ready for the opportunity.

In eight starts, the right-hander totaled a 5-1 record and 2.06 ERA. Furthermore, he boasted an excellent 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

Read More: Mets Star Pitcher Tops MLB Pipeline Prospects List

Nolan McLean was ranked the BEST pitching prospect in baseball 👀

#6 on the new MLB Pipeline list pic.twitter.com/IwvH9aSDo6

— Milb Central (@milb_central) January 25, 2026

Coming into 2026, McLean is expected to play a key role in the rotation, and he could be poised for stardom. With the addition of Freddy Peralta as the ace of the staff, this will take some of the pressure off McLean to become the ace right away; even though he pitched well in 2025, it was a small sample size and he could hit a couple of bumps in his first full season.

Overall, there are plenty of reasons to believe that McLean could end up being the best pitcher in the rotation by the end of the year. The 24-year-old was extremely impressive in 2025, and the Mets are hoping he can sustain that level of success.

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