Andres Chavez
The New York Mets lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday in a game that could have gone either way. They ended up being on the losing side after paying the price for some controversial decisions and plays. It happens. It’s baseball.
Before the late-game bullpen decisions, Nolan McLean started his first game of the season for the Mets, and it’s easy to forget how good he was and how effective and nasty his curveball, in particular, looked.
The right-hander, a firm candidate to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award, pitched five innings in which he conceded two runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out a whopping eight Pirates, as McLean’s curve was too much for the Pirates to handle.
An Impressive High-Spin Curve
McLean consistently got spin rates of over 3,000 rpm with his hook, resulting in nasty movement and, of course, swings and misses:
When everything was said and done, McLean had a whopping 80 percent whiff rate with the curveball, as the Pirates swung and missed four times on five swings vs. that specific pitch. He was also cooking with his changeup, which also earned four empty swings. He got two with his sinker, one with his four-seamer, and one with his cutter, for a total of 12.
McLean posted a brilliant 2.06 ERA last year in his first taste of MLB baseball, in 48 innings. It’s extremely hard to replicate or improve that number over the course of 30 starts, but the Mets believe his wide repertoire and incredibly successful secondary pitches can help him become an ace for them as soon as this year.
An Ace In The Making
It’s easy to focus on McLean’s inability to neutralize Brandon Lowe, who doubled and homered off him on Sunday, but there are a couple of things to consider: Lowe has been red-hot ever since the first game of the new campaign, and it’s still very early. McLean will have many chances to prove he can sharpen his command and avoid the long ball, just as he did last year.
The Mets, despite the loss, can smile knowing they have one of the top young starters in the league in McLean. He has a varied repertoire, near-elite fastball velocity, and a filthy curveball that can get him out of jams almost every time.
Don’t expect another 2.06 ERA because virtually no one can pitch 180 innings at that level of excellence at this point, but McLean can develop into a dependable frontline starter and has the traits to be special.
Unlike last year, the 2026 Mets appear to have some impressive starting pitching depth, and let’s not forget the fact that two similarly talented prospects, Christian Scott and Jonah Tong, will be getting ready to help in Triple-A.
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