Marvelous McLean Leads Mets To 6-0 Victory! Are There Enough Superlatives?

McLean made 16 starts; only twice did he give up more than two earned runs. Over his last 22 2/3 innings pitched, he allowed 10 hits and five runs while walking nine and striking out 26. Yet, he stayed put as Stearns deemed McLean needed more time, even after failing to make any starting pitching acquisitions at the trade deadline.

Mets Finally Bring McLean To Big Apple

New York’s stumble reached its lowest point during a horrific 2-14 stretch, capped by embarrassing rotational performances. The starting arms daily labored to make it four innings, and the bullpen struggled under the taxing demands. Finally, Stearns did what he should have done earlier in the summer; he called up McLean.

The Mets desperately needed starting pitchers who could give them length and rest the bullpen. It seemed too much to expect from a rookie, especially on the Big Apple stage while facing a strong Seattle Mariners lineup. McLean, though, dazzled in his debut, going 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs and striking out eight. He showed poise and used his excellent pitching arsenal to keep Seattle uncomfortable throughout.

McLean uses six pitches, including a 98 miles per hour fastball, a curveball, and an outstanding slider, which is his most effective. He has the confidence to use any pitch in any moment, and his efficient mixing and matching of power pitches with off-speed stuff baffles hitters. The Mariners could attest to this.

McLean’s next start came in New York’s house of horrors, Atlanta, as he faced the Mets’ nemesis Atlanta Braves. Many New York starters have crumbled while pitching in Turner Field and now Truist Park. McLean, on the other hand, looked right at home.

McLean threw seven innings, gave up four hits, two runs, and struck out seven. He controlled the Braves’ bats throughout, enabling the Mets to take command of the game as they cruised to a 12-7 victory. McLean’s performance led New York to the road series win, something they haven’t done much of in Atlanta.

McLean Wows Against The Phillies

McLean beat two good lineups in his first couple of starts; he already made a case as the Mets’ most reliable starter. He saved his most impressive performance against New York’s biggest opponent, the Phillies.

Since McLean’s debut, the Mets went 7-3 and had the opportunity to sweep Philadelphia. A win would make 10 straight at home against the Phillies dating back to last season. It would also lock up a perfect 6-0 home record against their rival for the season. Who better to have on the mound than New York’s remarkable rookie?

McLean instantly commanded Philadelphia’s tremendous lineup and never let up. He faced a minimum of 18 batters through six innings, striking out six. He most impressively walked none. He allowed a single to Bryce Harper in the seventh, but quickly squashed the rally by inducing J.T. Realmuto to pop up to short.

The Phillies finally threatened in the eighth with two singles. They had men on first and third, but McLean’s remarkable poise shut them down with no runs. He got Nick Castellanos to fly out to right, Bryson Scott to fly out to left, and Harrison Brader to ground out to the pitcher.

End Of My Nolan McLean Rant

Just a couple of weeks ago, New York looked prime for a collapse to top the horrific falls of 2007, 2008, and the late-season stumble against the Braves in 2022. Now, they are fresh off a convincing sweep of Philadelphia and 8-3 in their last 11 games and four games behind the Phillies. The National League East can be called a race again. The Mets also have a little breathing room in the Wild Card, up 4.5 games on the Cincinnati Reds.

McLean’s stats are tremendous. In three starts, he is 3-0 while striking out 21 in 20 1/3 innings pitched. His ERA is a microscopic 0.89 and his WHIP a minuscule 0.69. Not once has he looked rattled; instead, he appears as if he has been schooling major league hitters for years.

McLean has only been in the Big Apple for a couple of weeks, but it is fair to speculate whether he can win the NL Rookie of the Year. The race currently doesn’t have a clear-cut favorite, with Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton the leading candidate. Horton has put up a good, but not great, campaign, going 8-4 with a 2.88 earned run average and 77 strikeouts in 93 2/3 innings.

McLean has completely flipped the Mets’ narrative with uncommon poise and exceptional performance. If he can maintain anything close to it during the stretch run and New York makes the playoffs, he will create a massive media buzz. This would likely put him in the driver’s seat to get the reward.

Mets fans were ready to run Stearns and Manager Carlos Mendoza out of town a few weeks ago, fed up with brutal games. Last night, Citi Field carried electricity throughout. Why? McLean has made this team fun again.    

Stearns went against his true nature and made an earth-shattering call to promote Jonah Tong to New York, with his debut coming on Friday. Tong, upon getting the call-up a couple of weeks ago to Syracuse, made Triple-A hitters look out of their depths. In two starts, he pitched 11 2/3 scoreless innings, striking out 17 and generating 39 swing and misses.

Tong deserves the opportunity to go to the Big Apple, but it wouldn’t have happened without McLean’s excellence. A much-needed organizational philosophy shift from cautiousness to boldness with prospects is occurring. These tremendous arms are giving hope to the fanbase, sparking their teammates, and providing the Mets opportunity to find redemption from their summer stumble.