MLB Pipeline updated its prospect rankings for all 30 teams on July 23. New York Mets starting pitcher Nolan McLean saw himself take a big jump in those rankings — after being tabbed the team's No. 5 prospect during the preseason, he moved up two spots to No. 3 (and was considered the No. 36 prospect in all of baseball after previously not cracking the top 100).
McLean has since been called up to the majors, and he has been nothing short of electric with the Mets' big-league squad, providing the club with exactly what it needs as it deals with injuries to its starting rotation and looks to hold onto a playoff berth.
His latest start, specifically, has also placed him in an exclusive club of pitchers who have produced early in their careers.
McLean's latest start puts him in elite company with Dodgers legend
McLean took the mound in the Mets' game against the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday night. Even though the end result was a positive one — the Mets went on to win 12-5 — McLean experienced some adversity in the first inning.
He retired his first two batters of the night before giving up walks to Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene. The Tigers' next two batters, Spencer Torkelson and Wenceel Pérez, hit RBI singles to regain the lead after Pete Alonso launched a solo home run in the top of the inning.
McLean was dominant from that point onward, though, allowing just one hit and one walk over the next five frames. When he was taken out of the game after the sixth inning, his stat line read as follows: 6 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 K.
Through four career starts, McLean has pitched to a 4-0 record with a 1.37 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, and 28 strikeouts across 26.1 innings pitched. According to OptaSTATS, only one other player in MLB history has possessed a 4-0 record, a sub-1.50 ERA and more than 25 strikeouts over their first four starts: Los Angeles Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela, who went on to win the National League's Rookie of the Year Award and Cy Young Award in 1981, the year he accomplished the feat.
Nolan McLean of the @Mets is the second MLB pitcher to go 4-0 with a sub-1.50 ERA and 25+ strikeouts over his first 4 career starts (since ERA became official in both leagues in 1913).
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) September 3, 2025
The other was Fernando Valenzuela in 1981. pic.twitter.com/suQHBVxJtl
It may be a little too late for McLean to be considered for either of those awards, but his contributions are already putting the Mets on a path to potentially be a serious contender in October.