Mets' Nolan McLean 'excited to compete' in big-league debut, calls it a 'dream come true'
Nolan McLean of the Mets throws a warm-up pitch prior to the top of the fifth inning of a spring training game against the Washington Nationals at Clover Park on March 15 in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Credit: Getty Images/Christopher Pasatieri
The Mets have little doubt that top prospect Nolan McLean will be mostly cool, calm and collected when he makes his big-league debut against Seattle on Saturday afternoon at Citi Field.
What do they base it on? “Just the makeup, his ability to control situations, emotions,” manager Carlos Mendoza said on Friday.
There was one moment earlier this week when McLean couldn’t control his emotions.
On Wednesday, the 24-year-old righthander was told by Triple-A Syracuse pitching coach A.J. Sager that he was being promoted to the majors.
That wasn’t the moment.
“I tried not to get emotional,” McLean said on Friday at Citi Field. “And then I called my mom.”
That was the moment.
“She was crying, and I got pretty emotional then,” McLean said. “It was just a really exciting moment for me.”
McLean, who will wear No. 26, earned the call-up by going 8-5 with a 2.45 ERA and 127 strikeouts in 113 2⁄3 innings in 21 games (18 starts) between Double-A Binghamton and Syracuse. He is replacing Frankie Montas in the rotation, with the chance to earn a long look if he impresses the pitching-starved Mets.
“I’m just trying to take it one game at a time,” he said. “Go out and compete as hard as I can tomorrow and take it from there.”
Getting the news on Wednesday fulfilled a dream McLean had since he was a boy.
“It’s a dream come true,” he said. “I mean, I remember telling my dad when I was really little, seeing some big-leaguers play, ‘I might want to do that. It seems like fun playing baseball for a living.’ So it’s definitely going to be a dream come true.”
McLean said he will have “quite a few of my family members and a few buddies” coming to Saturday’s game.
McLean grew up in Willow Spring, North Carolina, and was drafted in the third round by Baltimore in 2022 out of Oklahoma State. But he didn’t sign, returned to college and was drafted in the third round by the Mets in 2023.
This time he signed. It was the only other time he had visited Citi Field before Friday.
McLean was a two-way player in college and said after signing with the Mets that he hoped to continue hitting as well as pitching. Cue the Shohei Ohtani comparisons.
“I think they’re open to it,” McLean said in July 2023. “And I’m really excited to get going.”
McLean hit .185 with 85 strikeouts in 167 plate appearances in his first two seasons in the minors. This season, he hung up his bat and decided to concentrate on mound work. Good move. His big arm is why he is ranked the No. 37 prospect in baseball by MLB.com.
The Mets chose McLean for a call-up over fellow prospects Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong, both of whom are at Syracuse. McLean, Sproat and Tong could form a Big Three in the team’s rotation as early as 2026. Or Three Amigos, if you like, because McLean said the young pitchers are all buddies.
“I think there’s a lot of talent,” McLean said. “Jonah and Brandon are just a few guys — you can name a whole bunch. Those guys are special as well. I’ve never seen a fastball like those two, honestly, and I play catch with Brandon every day. It’s not the most fun thing in the world. Those guys are special as well, so it’s exciting for the organization.”
There’s something about a prospect making his big-league debut that is exciting for the home fans. How does McLean think he will feel when he takes the mound on Saturday in front of 40,000 Mets fans?
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve never been in that situation before, so I guess we’ll see. I’m excited to compete. That’s one of my favorite things to do, whether it’s baseball or just anything competition, so I’m excited for that.”
Said Mendoza: “Proud of him. Congratulated him. Obviously, he earned it. Worked really hard. Credit to him and the people in player development. He’s a big-league pitcher.
“The other thing I told him was, ‘Let’s just have fun. Have fun. Go out there and be yourself. We’re not expecting heroes here. Just go out there and be yourself. Give us a chance to win a baseball game.’ And he just smiled.”
Anthony Rieber covers baseball, as well as the NFL, NBA and NHL. He has worked at Newsday since Aug. 31, 1998, and has been in his current position since July 5, 2004.
