Nolan McLean rockets to the top of Mets' homegrown talent, outshining expectations with dominant pitching and Rookie of the Year potential.
In an MLB offseason, having talent within the organization is one of the most influential factors in how aggressive a team can be. Luckily for the New York Mets, they have plenty of talent within their organization that they are responsible for nurturing.
Its depth of prospect talent has made them possibly the biggest threat in the MLB on the trade market this offseason for names like Cy Young-winner Tarik Skubal. The Mets have so much homegrown talent that they don’t even have to think about trading their top prospect to land big names in return.
It’s good news for them, meaning right-handed pitcher Nolan McLean won’t be leaving New York anytime soon. In a recent Bleacher Report article from Joel Reuter, McLean was named as the Mets’ best homegrown player – and it was the obvious choice.
Before the offseason, that title would have been claimed by first baseman Pete Alonso, but he has signed left Queens in hopes of a brighter future with the Baltimore Orioles. Though the Mets still have tons of talent, much of it has been brought in from other teams across the league. Luckily, McLean serves as a great replacement as the team’s best homegrown player.
McLean has pitched just eight games at the major league level, and he already has proven he’s not just ready to stay in Queens, but ready to dominate. The 24-year-old posted a 2.06 ERA and struck out 57 batters across 48 innings in his short stint at the end of last season. Despite just one month in the majors, McLean finished the season with a 1.8 WAR. He remains eligible for the Rookie of the Year Award next season due to his short time with the Mets.
Despite heading into 2026 with rookie status, McLean could be the No. 1 guy for the Mets next year if there are no changes made to the starting rotation. After fans watched the rotation collapse in the second half of last season, there are plenty of question marks surrounding several starters. McLean, despite having just eight games under his belt, may have the least amount of questions to answer in 2026 – all signs are pointing towards a monstrous rookie campaign.
For a big market team that spends hundreds of millions in free agency and lures in big names via the trade market, the Mets have also been great in developing their own talent. Selecting McLean in the third round of the 2023 Draft is the perfect example of just that.