The National League has featured a significant number of impressive rookies this season, but New York Mets starter Nolan McLean is still hitting the top of at least one "best of" list despite his short stint with the club.
Count former Cincinnati Reds GM Jim Bowden among those who’s impressed with McLean. Bowden released his list of the top ten NL rookies for The Athletic, and McLean made it all the way up to second slot despite having just four starts.
What vaulted McLean up the ranks was his dominance in the midst of a high-pressure pennant race in New York. McLean has struck out 28 batters in 26-1/3 innings, and he’s allowed just 13 hits and seven walks.
Bowden also loves his baseball nerd stats, and he cited the spin rate on McLean’s curveball—3,267 rpm!—with an 18.2 inch horizontal break and a 13.1 vertical break. Everyone loves "velo" these days, and McLean brings four-seamer heat at 95-97 mph to go with a sinker that clocks in at 93-95. Add in a sweeper, a change up and a cutter, and there’s a lot to love, especially since it’s hard to find young potential aces who come up and show out right away.
One thing that’s especially unusual about McLean’s rank is that Bowden put him above a couple of other prominent rookie pitchers. Starter Cade Horton of the Chicago Cubs has thrown over 100 innings and has a 2.78 ERA with a 9-4 record, but he was still rated third, while right-hander Jacob Misiorowski of the Milwaukee Brewers took the fourth spot based on his being named an All-Star after just five starts.
In McLean’s case, a little Big Apple media coverage to go a long way, especially when names like Mets Hall of Fame hurler Tom Seaver start getting thrown around in the conversation.
McLean’s next start happens tomorrow against the Washington Nationals, and that’s low-hanging fruit compared to the team's McLean has beaten so far. Every start’s a big one, though, and the Mets have been known to spit the bit every now and then against inferior competition.
The Mets rookie is also getting some extra attention because of his teammates at the top of the rotation. McLean and fellow starters Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong are being called the team’s new Big 3, and if they can save the Mets season and get the Mets in the playoffs, that nickname will be more than justified.