Aug 27, 2025; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean (26) on the field after defeating the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Mark Vientos makes Nolan McLean's case for being Mets ace

Originally posted on New York Mets on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Sep 5, 2025 8:00 AM ET

New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean has been the talk of the baseball world for the past couple of weeks. This is owed to the historic start to his MLB career, which includes McLean amassing a 4-0 record, a 1.37 ERA, and 28 strikeouts in 26.1 innings pitched in four starts. This made McLean the first Mets pitcher in franchise history to go 4-0 in his first four MLB starts.

As great as McLean has been, he has been one of the only New York pitchers who has performed well of late. Instead, the real story of the Mets' successful past month or so has been their resurgent offense, which has been led by slugger Juan Soto.

However, several Mets hitters have impressed since the start of August. And perhaps the best one for Mets fans to see is Mark Vientos, who is hitting .288 with a .954 OPS, 9 home runs, and 29 RBIs in his last 30 games.

After Vientos' brutal start to the 2025 season, fans were wondering whether this was truly the third baseman of this franchise's future. Now these same fans are convinced that Vientos' breakout 2024 postseason wasn't a fluke, and that that was a better indication of the player he is than what he showed to start this season.

Mark Vientos Gives Nolan McLean His Flowers

Vientos was a guest on a September 3 episode of The Show: A NY Post baseball podcast with Joel Sherman & Jon Heyman. And at one point, he spoke about why McLean has the qualities to be New York's ace.

"What I see is a pitcher that has a ton of confidence. He's not scared of anybody he faces. He wants the big moment. And I think that's, what we talk about aces, that's it right there," Vientos said of McLean.

"Aces are bulldogs on the mound, have a ton of confidence, and it's just 'Me against you. Here's my stuff, I bet you won't hit it.' And he has that attitude," Vientos added. "And [he's] not only a great player, [but] a great person."

It's cool to hear Vientos speak so highly about McLean, given that these two players appear to be pillars of the Mets' success in the years to come.

But fans aren't worried about the future right now. They're thinking about the present, and both Vientos and McLean continuing to perform well will be crucial if New York is to make it to the postseason.

This article first appeared on New York Mets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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