Nolan McLean, the New York Mets' promising young pitcher, will get the nod for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic with a chance to advance as the top seed in Pool B.
Spring training can get boring after the sheer excitement of baseball being back kind of goes away, which is why the World Baseball Classic gives fans an opportunity to be completely invested in games.
The WBC is our version of Olympic baseball, as the best players from around the world represent their respective countries on the national stage. Players take immense pride in playing for their country and that runs deep for all participants, but this year feels different for Team USA.
Team USA hasn’t won the gold since 2017, and this year’s roster may be the most elite we have ever seen. All-Stars and future Hall of Famers up and down the roster willing to take on any role to come out on top.
At 3-0 in pool play, Team USA leads the way in Pool B with the chance to secure the top seed in the knockout stage if it defeats Team Italy on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET. After stellar performances from San Francisco Giants right-hander Logan Webb, Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal and Pittsburgh Pirates righty Paul Skenes in the first three games, Team USA will hand the ball to New York Mets rookie right-hander Nolan McLean.
On a team with tons of experience, some may think McLean is undeserving of this opportunity. However, McLean is ready for this and after dominating Major League Baseball over just eight starts, it’s clear that he has something about him that makes him special.
McLean trains incredibly hard during the winter months to prepare himself for battle over a long season and he’s addicted to the grind.
“The constant grind is something that I'm obsessed with, and what I love is just the process of trying to find little tricks and nuances to get better,” McLean told ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
“[McLean] spins it better than anyone I know,” fellow Mets pitcher and throwing partner Jonah Tong told Passan. “And he has that bulldog mentality that is very rare, especially from a pitcher like that. The thing that makes him really successful is not only the fact that he's an absolute animal on the mound, but he's an incredible human off it, and he's so dedicated to his craft that it's amazing to watch.”
Although he pitched just 48 innings for the Mets in 2025 during the final stretch of the season, he was instantly the best pitcher on the team. McLean won his first four MLB starts, becoming the first pitcher since 2014 and only pitcher in franchise history to do so.
He pitched to a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP with 57 strikeouts, and while these stats are impressive, the other feat he accomplished is probably more impressive.
McLean had a 60.2 percent groundball percentage with a 30.3 percent strikeout rate, a rare combination that demonstrates his effectiveness on the mound.
According to Passan, the 24-year-old phenom is lined up to start a potential final for Team USA if they advance that far, and by the looks of it, there’s a great chance of that.