The number that jumps out is not the ERA. It is the percentage.
When more than 40 front office executives across the league were asked to name the best pitching prospect in baseball, Nolan McLean collected 25.6 percent of the vote. In a field crowded with high-end arms and recent first-round picks, that sliver of confidence says plenty. It also says the New York Mets might be closer to stabilizing their future rotation than the outside noise suggests.
What the Executive Poll Really Measures
MLB Pipeline’s Executive Poll is not built for hype. It is designed to cut through it.
These are not prospect writers ranking upside in a vacuum or fans dreaming on tools. This is an industry survey meant to capture how decision-makers view talent in real time. When McLean narrowly edged Pirates right-hander Bubba Chandler, who finished second with 23.3 percent of the vote, it reflected a belief that his production, command, and adaptability are already translating at higher levels.
Blue Jays prospect Trey Yesavage finished third at 11.6 percent, with Andrew Painter and Seth Hernandez rounding out the top five. The names matter, but the margins matter more. McLean was not a consensus runaway. He was the choice teams would trust if they needed innings tomorrow.
That distinction matters for the Mets.
Why McLean’s Rise Feels Different
McLean’s 2025 season did not follow the smooth, scripted arc teams draw up in March. It unfolded in chapters, each more convincing than the last.
He opened in Double-A and dominated, posting a 1.37 ERA across 26.1 innings. The stuff was crisp, the strike throwing consistent, and hitters struggled to square him up. The Mets moved him to Triple-A Syracuse, where the test stiffened and McLean answered again. Over 87.1 innings, he logged a 2.78 ERA and struck out 97 batters, showing he could handle lineups built around patience and power.
Then came the moment that shifted perception league-wide.
Called up in the summer when the Mets rotation needed oxygen, McLean became their most reliable starter. Not a pleasant surprise. Their best option. He delivered a 2.06 ERA in 48 major league innings, struck out 57, and walked just 16. He did not nibble. He did not unravel. He pitched like someone who understood the assignment.
Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline put it simply. “Nolan McLean was the Mets’ best starter down the stretch in 2025, and most expect him to pick up where he left off this year.”
That is not projection. That is observation.
What This Means for the Mets Going Forward
For years, the Mets have searched for rotation stability through free agency and trades. Sometimes it worked. Often it did not. Homegrown frontline pitching has been the missing ingredient.
McLean changes that conversation.
At just 24 years old, he gives the Mets something they have lacked: a young starter rival executives already view as a top-tier asset. He does not come with asterisks about control or durability. He comes with evidence. The fact that other front offices are willing to say it publicly matters, because they have nothing to gain by inflating a Mets prospect.
This does not mean McLean is a finished product or that the Mets should stop adding pitching: in fact, they need an ace to enter the season with full confidence about their staff. However, this development means the foundation looks sturdier than it has in years. A frontline arm arriving sooner rather than later shifts timelines, payroll decisions, and expectations.
Rival executives are not blind. They see what the Mets have in McLean, and they are acknowledging it before he fully announces himself on a national stage.
Sometimes the clearest sign of progress is not internal optimism. It is respect from the rest of the room.
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