Everything to Know About the Mets Newest Pitcher
The New York Mets have been giving themselves and their fans whiplash lately. There will be magical moments, perfect plays, and cohesive cooperation, and then, bam, something, not anything quite obvious, shifts. With a record of blowing 11 of the past 12 leads, the team has something missing. It’s kind of like the post-lunch energy dip, where productivity is postponed and nothing seems to make sense anymore. Unlike most of us, baseball players can’t deal with their slump by drinking an iced latte and dawdling about the office. These athletes are playing series after series in the blustering heat, traveling, and still operating at full capacity. Sometimes, the best thing to do to wake up a sleeping giant is to poke them with a stick.
The stick in question: 24-year-old Nolan McClean. McClean is an athlete with a serious background in strategy and finesse. McClean attended Oklahoma State, where he played as a reliever and third baseman and was the quarterback for the football team. Ultimately deciding to focus his energy on baseball, he was first drafted by the Orioles in 2022, before the Mets picked him in the 2023 draft. It takes a special player to be able to multitask on the field. Studying your position can be a full-time job. McClean’s ability to showcase himself as a two-way player requires an ambitious individual hunger to learn all sides of the game of baseball. Now, he wasn’t perfect as a Double-A hitter, but he held great potential to become a great pitcher. So, the Mets made the call to dedicate his skills to pitching alone.
On Saturday, August 17th, Nolan McClean made his MLB debut as a starting pitcher for the Mets. Given the Mets' shaky performance lately, it could have been an intimidating time for him to come into the fold. Amongst the bated breath in the stadium, hopeful fans were optimistic that their favorite team would find the right combination to bring themselves back to life. Then came McClean.
Nolan McClean struck out his first batter. He caught a ball behind his back and created a double play to end the third inning. By the sixth inning, the Mariners were scoreless, and the stadium was speechless. By speechless, I mean, absolutely losing their minds. The Mets won the game. There were no crazy scores or missed opportunities; there was just solid and consistent baseball.
Now, McClean had a great debut, and it’s okay to bask in it. Realistically, it does not mean he’s the perfect solution or that he won’t have moments of difficulty. Yet, he has proven his prowess, his athleticism, and his potential. I’m viewing him as the missing piece to an almost complete puzzle the Mets have been assembling for themselves all season.
