Nolan McLean Is Ready to Shine for Team USA, and the Mets

The Mets’ top prospect has the making of an elite starting pitcher.

New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean is now starting for Team USA at the 2026 World Baseball Classic. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Nolan McLean is ready to introduce himself to the world.

The 24-year-old righty will start Team USA’s fourth game of the World Baseball Classic against Italy on Tuesday night, and has a chance to firmly establish himself as one of the best starting pitchers the U.S. has to offer. It’s a massive opportunity for the Mets prospect after making his MLB debut in 2025.

McLean joined the Mets’ rotation on August 16 last season and made his first start against the Mariners at Citi Field. He went 5 1/3 innings, allowing no runs on two hits and four walks, while striking out eight. It was just the start of a really nice six-week stretch for the rookie to end the season.

Nolan McLean’s MLB stats

McLean made eight starts in 2025 and was fantastic. He went 5-1, with a 2.06 ERA, a 1.04 WHIP, and 57 strikeouts against 16 walks in 48 innings. In fact, his ERA was 1.27 after his first seven starts, but he allowed five earned runs in 5 1/3 innings in his final start against the Cubs and saw it jump to 2.06. In that game he surrendered three home runs after only giving up one in his first seven apperances.

During that eight-game stretch, McLean averaged 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings, while giving up 3.0 walks per nine. His FIP was a solid 2.97, and he compiled 1.2 fWAR. Extrapolated over a 32-start season, his fWAR of 4.8 would have ranked eighth among all qualified MLB pitchers, tied with Max Fried. That’s obviously speculative given the sample size, but it gives you an idea of how good he was in a short stretch.

He is poised for a big breakout season in 2026.

Nolan McLean’s career track

McLean was a potential early-round pick in the 2020 MLB draft as a two-way North Carolina prep player, but wanted to play quarterback in college. MLB Pipeline had him ranked as the 66th overall player in that draft class.

He opted to sign with Oklahoma State but soon dumped the gridiron to focus on baseball. He was a two-way player for the Cowboys, and as a sophomore reliever in 2022, he went 2–1 with a 4.97 ERA, a 1.30 WHIP, and 39 strikeouts in 25 1/3 innings. He shined with the bat, though, slashing .285/.397/.595 with 19 home runs and 47 RBIs. The Orioles selected him in the third round (No. 81), planning to turn him into a pitcher while allowing him to DH. A post-draft MRI raised concerns about his health and Baltimore pulled its offer, forcing McLean to return to Stillwater for his junior season.

As a junior, McLean showed more promise on the mound. He went 1–2 in 14 appearances (three starts), with a 3.30 ERA and 34 strikeouts in 30 innings. He allowed 30 hits and 17 walks on the year, ballooning his WHIP to 1.57, but the quality of his stuff jumped. He took a step back at the plate, slashing .250/.379/.532 with nine home runs and 29 RBIs. The Mets selected him in the third round (No. 91) of the 2023 MLB draft and made him a full-time pitcher. The move has paid off.

During his first full season of pro ball in 2024, McLean rose all the way to Double A. For the season, he went 4–10 with a 3.78 ERA, a 1.26 WHIP, and 116 strikeouts against 42 walks in 109 2/3 innings. He opened the 2025 campaign at Double A and dominated over five starts with a 3–1 record, a 1.37 ERA, and a 1.22 WHIP, with 30 strikeouts in 26 1/3 innings. He was promptly promoted to Triple A Syracuse.

McLean made 16 appearances (13 starts) at Triple A and showed he was ready for the big leagues. Over the course of 87 1/3 innings, he struck out 97 batters while walking 38, but only allowed 58 hits. His 2.78 ERA and 1.10 WHIP were all the Mets needed to see, and they called him up to the big leagues.

Nolan McLean’s arsenal

McLean has good size at 6' 2" and 214 pounds. He uses that size to back a classic power pitching arsenal.

His go-to pitch is a mid-90s fastball that has jumped up a tick to 98 this spring. While he throws it as a four-seamer, he’s far more reliant on a sinker that averaged 94.8 mph in the majors last season.

McLean backs that sinker with a sweeper that averages 85.3 mph and 2,229 rpms of spin. The sweeper can get flat and opposing hitters drilled it in the big leagues, producing an xBA of .380, and a xwOBA of .447 in 2025.

He also features a devastating curveball that sat at 80 mph and generated an incredible 3,248 rpms of spin. Opposing batters produced an xBA of .076 and a xwOBA of .101 against McLean’s curve. Those are elite numbers.

He’ll occasionally mix in a changeup and a cutter to alter his look, but the sinker, sweeper and curve are his best pitches.

McLean has only been playing baseball full-time for a handful of years and only pitching full-time for three seasons. He is only going to get better as he hones his craft.

He’ll have a chance to introduce himself to the world as a member of Team USA against Italy on Monday night.

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