Armed with an elite sinker and devastating curveball, Nolan McLean has surpassed veteran stars to anchor New York’s rotation while emerging as a frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.
Heading into the 2026 campaign, there were big expectations placed on New York Mets rookie Nolan McLean. The right-hander dazzled in his first major league stint at the end of 2025, posting a 2.06 ERA in his first eight starts in the bigs.
Despite the immense hype and pressure stemming from his early showings, McLean has continued his form and been the most valuable arm on the Mets’ roster. With the likes of Freddy Peralta and Clay Holmes traded away last month at the deadline, there is no competition for that No. 1 role anymore. It’s clear McLean is the future.
His 3.06 ERA and 1.14 WHIP this year have aided the 24-year-old in reaching a top-25 fWAR among pitchers this season, ahead of some of baseball’s biggest names. McLean’s pitching run value places him in the 90th percentile in the league among qualified pitchers, with his fastball value jumping even higher to the 98th percentile.
The former third-round selection in 2023 throws some variation of a fastball, either a sinker, four-seamer, or cutter, on 64% of his pitches. All three of his fastballs reach the plate faster than the average right-hander, with more movement to complement them as well.
McLean’s go-to pitch is his sinker, which averages 95 mph and has nearly three more inches of tail than the average righty. Batters are hitting just .182 and recording a .241 wOBA against it. It doesn't get tons of swings and misses, but his 29.4 putaway rate tells the story of how effective McLean is with the pitch.
His curveball has 8.5 more inches of break than the average righty, leading to a ridiculous 38.7 whiff rate and keeping opponents to just a .109 average and .151 wOBA. It’s only his third-highest usage pitch, but perhaps the low usage is what keeps it so deadly whenever it’s time to buckle the batters' knees.
To round out his arsenal, McLean also offers a changeup, slider, and sweeper, all of which have above-average movement in their own right. The numbers aren’t quite as great as his top three-usage pitches, but in a few years' time, don’t be surprised if he transforms them into truly reliable options.
Focusing on the present, however, McLean and his 179 strikeouts in 161 ⅔ innings have him firmly in the race for National League Rookie of the Year. While the Mets as a whole have been a disappointment in 2026, the rookie trio of McLean, A.J. Ewing, and Carson Benge have given fans a ton to be excited about in 2027 and beyond. Let’s hope the front office can put together a squad that can compete for the World Series before they have to pay out big contracts to the trio.
