Ron Darling Makes Bold Comparison Between Mets' Young Pitchers and Harvey, deGrom

The New York Mets have assembled a promising collection of young starting pitchers.

And longtime broadcaster Ron Darling believes the group could eventually surpass one of the most celebrated pitching generations in franchise history.

Appearing on The Mets Pod with Joe DeMayo, Darling compared New York's emerging rotation to the group featuring Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz.

"I just think they have the beginnings of what they have with Harvey and deGrom and others," Darling said in a clip shared Friday by SNY.

"They might end up being the best of all of them."

It's a significant endorsement from the former Mets pitcher, who has watched several generations of New York's young talent develop during his broadcasting career.

Darling was particularly enthusiastic about Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong and Zac Thornton.

McLean emerged as the most accomplished member of the group in 2026, finishing 12-10 with a 3.16 ERA and 194 strikeouts across 179 2/3 innings.

The right-hander also earned recognition in Baseball America's ranking of the top graduated prospects of 2026, placing 10th overall.

Thornton posted a 3.42 ERA in 15 starts during his rookie season, while Tong finished with a 3.82 ERA.

Darling praised Tong's potential and expressed confidence that McLean could develop into a star.

He also singled out Thornton as one of the group's biggest overachievers.

Christian Scott provides another potential building block after returning from Tommy John surgery and recording a 3.85 ERA in 2026.

The comparison carries considerable weight given the success of New York's previous generation.

Harvey emerged as one of baseball's most dominant young starters before injuries derailed his career. DeGrom became a two-time National League Cy Young Award winner, while Syndergaard helped the Mets reach the 2015 World Series.

But the current group still has plenty to prove.

New York finished 74-88 in 2026 and faces significant rotation questions entering the offseason.

Despite its promising young pitchers, the organization is expected to pursue experienced reinforcements, with Tarik Skubal ranking atop SNY's list of potential free-agent targets.

Darling's prediction isn't that the current pitchers have already matched their predecessors.

Rather, he believes their early development suggests the Mets could have something special.

Whether that potential translates into sustained success will help determine how quickly New York can return to contention.