Nolan McLean showing he's ready for Mets' Opening Day rotation

Nolan McLean is giving the New York Mets plenty of hope for the upcoming season.

McLean made his first spring training start on Thursday. He dominated an Astros lineup with several presumed starters, allowing just one hit and one walk while striking out six batters over four innings. McLean threw 36 of his 56 pitches for strikes.

While it is just one spring training outing, McLean's dominance built off his performance for the Mets at the end of the 2025 season. He made eight starts, posting a 2.06 ERA and a 1.042 WHIP over his 48 innings, striking out 57 batters with 16 walks. 

Nolan McLean helping give New York Mets hope for the future

The Mets have high hopes for McLean. He and fellow pitching prospect Jonah Tong are expected to lead the Mets rotation into the next decade, a pair of potential top-of-the-rotation starters who the Mets can build around.

McLean has turned heads in spring training for reasons beyond his potential on the mound. His tenacity was on full display during a batting practice appearance against Juan Soto. He challenged Soto with seven consecutive fastballs, getting the All-Star outfielder to hit a ground ball to first. 

It is difficult to infer much from the early days of spring training, especially after only one appearance. However, McLean appeared to have picked up where he left off in the regular season during his outing on Thursday. The Mets will need him to continue his strong showing as they look to contend in what should be a difficult NL East.