Nolan McLean couldn't have possibly imagined pitching with the weight of the Mets' season resting on his shoulders in late September, but the rookie right-hander embraced the high-stakes assignment with grit and just enough efficiency.
With sole possession of the NL's third wild-card spot on the line, McLean helped save the Mets' postseason hopes on Thursday night, completing 5.1 innings with a career-high 11 strikeouts in the team's critical 8-5 win over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The outing was anything but blemish-free for McLean. He was responsible for all five runs, three of which came on a home run to Seiya Suzuki in the sixth inning that knocked him out at 94 pitches. But ample run support from the Mets arrived at an opportune time, and even the vulnerable version of McLean appeared tougher than most.
"You try to look at the positives the best you can," McLean said after the win. "Obviously, getting stung there at the end with a couple of solo shots. But tried to focus on the positives. A win's a win, and I just appreciate the offense keeping me in the game."
McLean didn't need much time to gain control over the Cubs. After working around a double in the first, he struck out the side in the second and four more between the third and fourth innings. He served up a pair of solo homers to Suzuki and Dansby Swanson, cutting the Mets' lead to 6-2 after five, but the 24-year-old added another three punchouts before the three-run blast.
It would've been unreasonable for the Mets to demand a flawless performance from McLean, making just his eighth MLB start. Much to their delight, perfection wasn't required. McLean received a boost from his teammates at the plate, and the bullpen delivered 3.2 scoreless innings in his stead.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has been impressed with McLean's makeup since his big league debut in mid-August. And at a time when the team is desperately requesting quality length from starters, it just so happens to be the youngster stepping up and carrying the load.
"You feel good about your chances every time he takes the baseball," Mendoza said. "Today was the perfect scenario, a couple of guys on and he's up to 91-92 pitches and you still feel really good about him getting out of that situation…
"And I'm going to continue to say, the way he makes adjustments, recognizing what's working for him. Today was the cutter and he kept going after, using that pitch. There's a lot to like, and he's got so many weapons as well."
While one could easily argue that McLean's big-league promotion was weeks overdue, the Mets are thankful to have him now in crunch time, with only three games remaining in the regular season. He owns a stellar 2.06 ERA with 57 strikeouts across 48 innings, and his 11 punchouts against the Cubs were the most by a Mets pitcher in 2025.
Since he left the game with one out in the sixth, McLean still remains eligible for rookie status next season. If he logs two innings of relief work on the road this weekend against the Marlins, he'd lose that rank. But the Mets will undoubtedly need McLean fresh to start Game 1 of a potential best-of-three Wild Card series next week.
"I want to win every game," McLean said. "That's just how I was raised and how I compete. Every time I go out there, I'm trying to win and compete. I just like winning."
Nolan McLean with his 11th strikeout of the night!
It's the most strikeouts by a Met in a single game in 2025 pic.twitter.com/MTw9vDfrzW
— SNY (@SNYtv) September 26, 2025
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