NOLAN MCLEAN -> SP EXTRAORDINAIRE
A funny thing happened on my way to adding one last article update this AM:
I do my articles and edits almost entirely on my iPad.
The very last edit I was doing was to make one little tweak…
When I went to do it, a button popped up as my finger was about to hit my target.
As it hit, I deleted everything. Everything.
I was so mad that if someone was around, I would’ve pushed their buttons.
So, what would’ve been a great article vaporized. Poof.
So, what to do? Oh, I know…
I replaced it in 15 minutes. Without AI. Just a little AMEN instead.
OK - I will keep it simple here. McLean is a beast. Everyone sees it.
Everyone knows it. His stuff is beastly. He was hitting 98+ last night.
12 months after pitching in the Mets prospect breakout game….
He was pitching in a huge game that was essentially like a WS game 7 start.
And he did great against a great line up.
Let me continue…
His slider and sweeper. Beastly.
His competitive fire? Beastly.
In many ways, he feels as beastly, or even more so, than Matt Harvey was.
Back in the days when Matt Harvey was the scary Dark Knight of Gotham.
As good as Jacob deGrom, is this McLean, but arriving at an earlier age.
Hopefully, far more durable than Jakey Breaky.
I am so glad that beastly Nolan McLean is on our side. How about you?
THEY NAMED A CITY AFTER HIM
I love going to Orlando. Love the fun atmosphere. Palm trees. Mice.
Rumor has it that the town was named after the great Orlando Cepeda.
Watching Orlando Cepeda pummel the Mets was not as much fun.
Cepeda’s last name of course reminds me of the Florida state bird…
Cicada
The buzz a cicada makes was like the buzz when Cepeda stepped to the plate.
Hall of Famer. Won an MVP, came in second another time.
Imagine facing Orlando and his two teammates: Willie Mays, Willie McCovey.
That was kind of like having a face, Soto, Soto and… Soto. Scary.
His lifetime stats against the Mets were not that overwhelming. Why?
Part of his career was spent facing guys like Seaver, Koos, Ryan, McGraw, etc.
THE BABY BULL!
As always, when I look back at an old star, like Cepeda…
I like to look at how they did in their thirties.
Like so many, Cepeda was a shadow of the player. He was in his 20s.
His numbers in his career were better than Pete Alonso’s.
Pete just signed that five-year deal
If Orlando, at the same age of 31, signed a five year deal…
He would’ve been drastically overpaid.
Making me think that once again…
Alonso may turn out to be drastically overpaid when all is said and done.
HAPPY WEDNESDAY, PEOPLE!
10 comments:
Actually McLean hit 99 5+ times
He also threw two curves to right-handers that started behind their back and ended dead center in the zone. Both batters moved to get out of the way, then realized what was going on. One had a look of "that can't be done" on his face after the ump called strike.
But both runs were on him.
Coupled with no support and he will always be know as the starter for that other team in the greatest baseball game in the history of Venezuela baseball
McLean himself rated himself (humbly) as a 7 out of 10. He was fired up. So are we.
Bichette knocked in 5 yesterday. Pete Alonso on the other hand still has just one RBI after his first spring at bat, spanning 38 at bats. It is not as much fun being a blue bird as he thought it would be.
I will remember the greatness of Nolan McQueen long past the time that I remember that Venezuela won that game. I actually felt good for Venezuela watching their celebration. They’ve had a tough year.
McLean was fired up. His stuff was awesome. While he was throwing heat, his breaking stuff looked stronger than his fastball - he got beat on some good pitches by some excellent hitters. He definitely looked that. Part of a top rotation starter. Only 24 with <50 mlb innings pitched. Stud
Seaver-like. Of course, Seaver had unreal longevity.
Off topic, saw this in an MLB article, which ought to get Gus riled up: The Giants got Tidwell from the Mets in the Tyler Rogers trade last summer, and his stuff has looked very sharp entering 2026. The 24-year-old right-hander, who's ranked San Francisco's No. 10 prospect, has been throwing six different pitches at Spring Training (four-seamer, sinker, cutter, slider, sweeper and changeup), but Tidwell's fastball-sweeper combo has been particularly good. His fastball is averaging 96.4 mph and generating a 41% whiff rate, and his sweeper, which is sitting at 83.5 mph with an excellent 2,820 rpm spin rate, has induced a 52% whiff rate (13 whiffs on 25 swings) and 43% strikeout rate (six K's in 13 plate appearances).
Butto doing well, too.
Amen! McLean looked great in a pressure-packed situation last night. His breaking pitches have movement like a video game. I still don't know how Tovar hit one of McLean's sliders that broke more than 20".
Blade Tidwell actually has a 2.25 WHIP this spring, but13 Ks in 6.2 IP. He seems to be competing for the Bryce Montes De Oca award.
If you could only keep one, would you keep Jordan Geber, or Joey Gerber? I’m leaning toward number two.
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