Magnificent McLean Leads Mets To 12-5 Victory! Is Rookie Of The Year Possible?

The Mets went 10-20 over a month from mid-June to mid-July. By the time the period ended, they had three, sometimes two, healthy arms in their rotation. The health issues forced New York to resort to plentiful bullpen games, which became the equivalent of waiving the white flag, prolonging the team’s slump.

The Mets entered mid-June with the lowest earned run average in the game. During the next month, it rose rapidly as New York struggled to keep opponents under five runs, and the starters failed miserably in providing length.

Throughout July, the Mets’ rotational corps only reached the sixth inning nine times. They poured gasoline on a raging fire as the bullpen neared collapse from excessive work.

Stearns Finally Calls Up McLean

During the swoon, General Manager David Stearns kept his top pitching prospects in the minors. McLean’s performance, making 16 starts while allowing more than two earned runs only twice, screamed promotion, especially with New York’s pitching woes. Yet he stayed in Syracuse.

Stearns’ highly questionable move became even more perplexing after he failed to acquire starting arms at the trade deadline. The Mets fell into a 2-14 hole that extended into early August. They watched their rotational core blow up daily. The once secure playoff spot dipped down to a half-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds.

Finally, on August 13, Stearns called up McLean. By the time he faced the Seattle Mariners in his debut, New York’s once stellar 45-24 mark had turned into 64-58, a precipitous decline.

McLean Dazzles

McLean looked like a ten-year veteran immediately as he excelled in his MLB debut, holding a strong Mariners lineup scoreless. He threw 5 1\3 innings, allowing two hits and striking out eight. His poise, command, and adjustments while using an extensive pitching arsenal kept Seattle’s bats flummoxed all afternoon.

Following his masterful Big Apple introduction, McLean has continued to raise his game. He beat the Atlanta Braves on the road, a place the Mets have struggled to secure wins throughout the years. He controlled the Braves’ bats behind seven strong innings, giving up two runs, four hits, and fanning seven while walking none.

McLean’s next opponent, the Philadelphia Phillies, looked like his toughest matchup. He responded with his greatest career performance, helping New York secure a much-needed sweep over their rivals. He dominated the Phillies behind eight masterful scoreless innings, allowing four hits, walking none, and striking out six.

McLean Handles Adversity Like A Champ

McLean’s first three starts consisted of little trouble as he shut down difficult opponents with ease. On Tuesday night against a fantastic Detroit Tigers team, he finally ran into some trouble.

The Mets gave McLean a run in the first, but after retiring the first two batters, he struggled to secure the third out. He walked two batters, then gave up two hits, getting bailed out when Wencell Perez was thrown out at second. Two Detroit runners scored by the inning’s end.

McLean followed the next inning with another walk and a single allowed, but once again got help from New York’s defense as Luis Torrens threw Zach McKinstry out trying to steal. McLean held up through the early trouble, retiring the last two batters and keeping the Mets within a run.

McLean responded to the early game difficulties by retiring the last 14 hitters, striking out six, including the side in the fifth. He rebounded from his early wildness by taking command through excellent efficiency, giving New York’s bats a chance to break through. The Mets hitters took control behind a five-run fourth and never looked back.

An early 2-1 deficit became a 12-2 lead as McLean picked up his fourth win in his first four career starts. He became the only pitcher ever to do so in franchise history.

End Of My Nolan McLean Rant

A pitcher who didn’t make his career debut until mid-August would normally have little chance of winning the NL Rookie of the Year. McLean, though, is not an ordinary pitcher as he has performed exceptionally under high-pressure stakes.

Since McLean’s arrival in the Big Apple, New York is 11-6. They won the last two games against the Mariners, swept the Phillies, and have won the first two contests of the road series against the Tigers. He has been heavily involved against all three opponents and has masterfully keyed the Mets’ success.

New York’s Wild Card lead over the Reds was down to a scant half game when McLean arrived; it is now back up to a five-game edge. It is not a coincidence that the bats have picked up since his promotion, as the rise in confidence and energy has compelled talented hitters to perform.

McLean’s NL Rookie of the Year chances are helped as no clear-cut leader is currently in place. Chicago Cubs starter Cade Horton is the betting favorite at +145. He is having a strong season at 9-4 with a 2.92 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 98 2\3 innings pitched. He has held up well for a Cubs team that is locked into a Wild Card spot, as they have been for weeks.

McLean is now 4-0 in four starts, with a sparkling 1.37 earned run average and 28 strikeouts in 26 1\3 innings pitched. He has beaten the Mariners, Phillies, and Tigers, all likely playoff teams, and the Braves, a continual thorn in the Mets’ side.

McLean deserves to be in the NL Rookie of the Year conversation. He has little working margin to win it, though. His brilliance must go to season’s end; he needs to keep piling up victories and lead New York to the playoffs.

The Mets are using a six-man rotation, which means McLean has three starts remaining, maybe four. The current schedule has him lined up to face the Phillies on the road, the San Diego Padres at home, and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. All are likely to make the playoffs and have upper-echelon lineups.

McLean, if he excels against the difficult opposition as he has done throughout his MLB career, will make an excellent case for NL Rookie of the Year. Win out, and he will have a resume that will be difficult to ignore. 7-0 with an ERA under two by beating the Phillies twice, Mariners, Braves, Cubs, Padres, and Tigers will offer an extraordinary performance. Any argument against it would have to side with quantity over quality for candidates who have played more games.

The New York media will likely be the X-factor. McLean’s achievements have been on the biggest stage in must-win games. It will be that way until the end. He has turned around his team’s fortunes and has become the Mets’ ace in only four starts. A groundswell of media momentum is building, and a strong closing finish will make it uncontainable. That ultimately will push him over the top to claim the reward, an astounding NL Rookie of the Year campaign.