New York Mets fans will finally get what they have been clamoring for over the last couple of weeks. Because star pitching prospect Nolan McLean is set to make his big league debut this Saturday.
New York ended an ugly seven-game losing skid on Tuesday night with a dominant 13-5 victory over rivals the Atlanta Braves. However, one victory does not mean they are out of the woods. They need some help in the starting rotation after they demoted Frankie Montas to the bullpen this week. And they will turn to one of their best and brightest prospects to fill that role.
According to SNY MLB insider Andy Martino, the Mets will promote Nolan McLean and have him start against the Seattle Mariners this Saturday. The 24-year-old has been the club’s best pitcher at Triple-A this season and has had a breakout season.
In 113.2 innings across Double and Triple-A this season, he has posted a 2.45 ERA, 1.12 WHIP with 127 strikeouts and 50 walks. In Syracuse specifically, he has a 2.78 ERA in 16 starts. His performance in 2025 has forced the front office to seriously consider a promotion. With Montas struggling since his return in June, the door was left wide open for McLean to get his big league call.
So what kind of impact can McLean make over the final weeks of the season? Let’s take a look at his potential.
What kind of impact can Nolan McLean make for the New York Mets the rest of the season?
There has been a lot of hype about McLean’s potential over the last year. To get an understanding of his skills, let’s take a look at a pair of notable scouting reports on the pitcher. The first comes from MLB.com, where he is the third-ranked player in the Mets system.
“There is some flat approach to his four-seamer out of his low release, and he gets ample armside movement on a sinker as well, leading to heavy groundball rates. The real monster is his 84-87 mph sweeper – a pitch with elite spin and horizontal movement averaging around 15-16 inches with Triple-A Syracuse. McLean can use the pitch well running away from righties or backfooting it to lefties. His 88-90 mph cutter bridges the gap between the two offerings, and he also mixes in an upper-80s changeup and an occasional upper-70s curveball for a more complete arsenal.”
Next is the most recent breakdown from SNY Mets prospect analyst Joe DeMayo.
“McLean will throw five pitches, headlined by his mid-80s sweeper, which is one of the nastiest pitches in minor league baseball that has generated a 30 percent whiff rate at Triple-A,” DeMayo recently wrote about McLean. “He mixes in two fastball shapes in a sinker and four-seamer that average around 95 mph and will touch 97. He also has a cutter and a curve ball that he can really spin, but only throws nine percent of the time.”
At the very least, McLean can offer a new look from the rotation for the rest of the season. He has the potential to make a notable impact. But fans should still be careful with putting high expectations on the youngster during a playoff race.
