New York Mets calling up pitching prospect Nolan McLean, making MLB debut Saturday

According to Andy Martino of SNY, the New York Mets are calling up pitching prospect Nolan McLean. He will make his MLB debut on Saturday against the Seattle Mariners. In a stretch where starting pitching has not been great for the Mets, they are hoping McLean can provide a new spark.

“Pitching prospect Nolan McLean will make his MLB debut starting for the Mets on Saturday, league sources say,” Martino said via X.

The Mets had a spot open in the rotation when Frankie Montas was demoted to the bullpen. It’s been a tough two-month stretch for starters, as the fall inside the NL East continues. Whether or not McLean can make an impact has yet to be seen but there is certainly some excitement.

A tough task is ahead of him. There might not be a hotter team in baseball at the moment than Seattle, winning 10 of 11 out of the All-Star break. A lineup filled with a ton of power bats, McLean will get a fun opportunity to face the likes of Julio Rodriguez and AL MVP frontrunner Cal Raleigh.

Right now, the Mets are in the midst of an important series against the Atlanta Braves. Taking Tuesday night’s opener brought some history along with it for Pete Alonso. Game 2 of the series will take place Wednesday night.

A lot of people will be counting down to Saturday, though. McLean will get his chance to impress and potentially become a part of the Mets’ rotation down the stretch.

More on Nolan McLean ahead of MLB debut

Between AA and AAA, McLean has appeared in 21 games this season, 18 of which are starts. An impressive 2.45 ERA is on the resume over the course of 11.3 innings pitched. McLean’s 127 strikeouts impress too, while walking 50 batters.

At just 24 years old, the Mets selected McLean in the third round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He came out of Oklahoma State as a two-way player, also setting up shop at third base. However, the decision to move to a full-time pitcher has certainly paid off in a big way.

McLean is New York’s top pitching prospect and No. 3 overall inside the organization, according to MLB Pipeline. His national ranking comes in at No. 37 as MLB Pipeline ranks the top 100. Only four right-handed pitchers are thought of higher than McLean within the prospect pool.