Wednesday night, game two of the Andy Green era, ended with another Mets win. The Mets won the second game of a three-game set against the Texas Rangers by a score of 7-2. Juan Soto had a huge day, reaching base four times, scoring two runs, and driving in two on a third-inning two-run home run. Then, Marcus Semien and Brett Baty did the rest offensively, providing huge home runs late in the game to seal the deal. Baty’s go-ahead grand slam in the 9th inning capped off a rally that saw both Soto and Bo Bichette walked to get to Mark Vientos, who was then pinch hit for.
The real story of the game was the final start of the stellar 2026 rookie campaign for Nolan McLean. McLean capped off his season by going seven innings, allowing only two runs on three hits, walking one while striking out five. After the game, Andy Green called McLean “the best rookie pitcher in the National League,” and that’s pretty clear. The real conversation is the best rookie overall in the National League.
McLean said after the game that he tries to “take pride in going out there and competing every single time, whether I have my stuff or not,” and he should. McLean did not miss a start the entire season, despite pitching in the World Baseball Classic and throwing 66 innings more than his previous career high. Currently, McLean’s 179 2/3 IP rank is tied for 12th in the majors.
McLean’s rookie season entered some rare air for Mets fans. He ended the season with a 12-10 record, a 3.16 ERA over 179 2/3 innings, 194 strikeouts, and a 3.5 fWAR. Courtesy of Joe DeMayo of SNY, the last rookie pitcher to have 30+ starts, a 3.16 ERA or lower, and 194+ strikeouts was Dwight Gooden in 1984. Yes, obviously Gooden’s rookie year was magical, but that is some perspective of the stellar season McLean just finished.
Not only was he one of the best rookies in the National League, but McLean was also one of the best pitchers in the National League. Here is where McLean currently ranks compared to qualified NL Pitchers: 9th in fWAR, 8th in ERA, 10th in FIP, 7th in K/9, 6th in IP. It is not a stretch to say that he has been a legitimate top-10 pitcher in the NL this season. Compared to other NL rookies, McLean’s fWAR ranks 3rd, behind JJ Wetherholt (4.5) and fellow Mets rookie Carson Benge (3.7), and ahead of TJ Rumfield/Logan Henderson (2.4) and Sal Stewart (2.2).
While 2026 hasn’t looked as great as the magical 2025 short stint for McLean, it has still been great. The batted-ball profile is something that has taken a hit: He is forcing fewer ground balls, and batters are pulling the ball in the air more than double the 2025 rate. Something I have found very impressive about this year is the “bulldog” mentality he has taken on. The ability to get consistently deep into games despite not having your best stuff is truly impressive. With McLean’s spin rate, he is always going to walk people. Frankly, he throws a ton of pitches due to the high walk rate but also the high strikeout rate. What is interesting to me is the ability to strike people out without generating a ton of chases or whiffs. Of all qualified starters, McLean is only one of four starters to have a K% in the 70th percentile or higher, while simultaneously having a chase rate in the 25th percentile or lower. If McLean is able to lower his walk rate, the sky is truly the limit.
Having good pitching is imperative to competing at a high level. Having good pitching that is also 25 years old is fantastic for sustained success. When you have elite pitching that is 25 years old, that is invaluable.
While it looks like the Mets have several question marks in the rotation moving forward, McLean is not one of them. This is a special talent that will, hopefully, pitch his entire career as a Met. The question is not whether or not McLean is a true ace. The true question should be, “Can the Mets pair another ace with McLean?” True frontline starters are so hard to find. Nobody should take McLean’s unbelievable start to his career for granted.
