Righty hurler Nolan McLean had a great rookie season:
12-10, 3.16 ERA, 194 Ks, 1.17 WHIP.
But he briefly pitched EVEN BETTER in 2025:
5-1, 2.06 ERA in 48 innings.
Add both seasons together to give him a number of innings more typical of the 1960s - 1980s, and his numbers are:
17-11, 2.93, 228 innings, 251 Ks, 1.14 WHIP.
That, ladies and gents, is an ACE.
That was after just 226 minor league innings, where he was learning to pitch on the fly, and where he compiled a 3.10 ERA with a 1.19 WHIP and 241 Ks, with his 2025 minors ERA of 2.45.
Amazing.
Which reminds me of Jonah Tong in 2025, whose 1.43 minors ERA was a full run better than 2025 McLean’s.
Recall that in 2025, Tong was baseball’s minor league pitcher of the year.
Out of 150 minor league teams from AAA to Complex League, Tong was numero uno.
So…
Two messages today:
1) McLean is an ace. Today. Could his 2027 season be Seaver Circa 1969?
2) Don’t give up on Tong. He just might be another Mets ace in 2027.
2 comments:
McLean is not an ace.
Close but no cigar.
SP2, yes
Agree with Mack. McLean is not quite an ace. But I believe that he can still elevate his game up.
Based upon the 2026 numbers, if Tong was still a prospect I would have him listed as a tie for second. Concerns about the secondary pitches and the change from a more ground-out/strike-out pitcher to a fly-out pitcher and the number of home runs.
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