<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-nolan-mcleans-nasty-frisbees-baffle-cubs-win');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mets’ Nolan McLean’s ‘nasty frisbees’ baffle Cubs in crucial win');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Nolan-McLeans-nasty-frisbees-baffle-Cubs-in-crucial-win.jpg"><figcaption>© David Banks-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mets’ Nolan McLean’s ‘nasty frisbees’ baffle Cubs in crucial win</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-26T07:19:33-07:00">September 26th, 7:19am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-26T07:19:33-07:00">September 26th, 7:19am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/colinloughran">Colin Loughran</a>Colin Loughran is a NYC-based Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He has spent several years covering sports and has worked for outlets such as the New York Post, AP Radio, and FanSided. Colin is also a three-time NYSBA award winner and a proud graduate of Fordham University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Despite scuffling through the past few weeks of play, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-carlos-mendoza-on-scoreboard-watching-amid-reds-d-backs-losses">New York Mets have remained in the hunt for the final National League Wild Card spot.</a> Their 8-5 win against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday night came with a gritty showing from rookie starter Nolan McLean, and teammate Tyrone Taylor provided an honest assessment of what the young ace <a href="https://x.com/MLBNetwork/status/1971415403436859414" rel="noopener">was able to bring to the mound.</a></p><p>“That dude is throwing frisbees up there… he’s nasty,” Taylor told Jon Morosi after the victory.</p><p>It was not a completely ideal night for McLean. While the 24-year-old struck out a career high 11 batters, he also surrendered five runs and three home runs across five innings of work. Even still, McLean chose to remain <a href="https://sny.tv/articles/mets-nolan-mclean-shows-poise-playoff-hopes-alive-9-25-25" rel="noopener">focused on the win</a> instead of his own individual stat line.</p><p>“I want to win every game,” McLean told SNY. “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.”</p><p>With the Mets’ starting rotation facing questions amidst injuries and underwhelming results, it is possible that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/why-nolan-mclean-mets-nl-wild-card-game-1-starter">McLean could be a Postseason option.</a> When asked about his confidence in the Willow Spring native’s ability to pitch in major games, New York manager Carlos Mendoza did not hesitate to show his support.</p><p>“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…</p><p>“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.”</p><p>The Mets are 82-77 and currently hold a one-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds for the final NL Wild Card. They will finish the regular season with a three-game road set against the Miami Marlins this weekend.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets’ Nolan McLean’s ‘nasty frisbees’ baffle Cubs in crucial win

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/why-nolan-mclean-mets-nl-wild-card-game-1-starter');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Nolan McLean must be Mets’ NL Wild Card Game 1 starter');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Why-Nolan-McLean-must-be-Mets-NL-Wild-Card-Game-1-starter.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Nolan McLean must be Mets’ NL Wild Card Game 1 starter</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-22T08:47:58-07:00">September 22nd, 8:47am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-22T08:47:58-07:00">September 22nd, 8:47am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/colinloughran">Colin Loughran</a>Colin Loughran is a NYC-based Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He has spent several years covering sports and has worked for outlets such as the New York Post, AP Radio, and FanSided. Colin is also a three-time NYSBA award winner and a proud graduate of Fordham University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Saturday’s contest between the New York Mets and Washington Nationals was a disaster for the team that resides in Queens. But the game could have been even more devastating if not for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mets-news-nolan-mclean-makes-franchise-history-start-vs-rangers">the performance that starting pitcher Nolan McLean turned in.</a></p><p>After surrendering two runs over his first two innings of work, McLean settled down and tossed three straight scoreless frames to end his afternoon. The rookie only let up four hits and two walks while striking out six batters <a href="https://sny.tv/articles/mets-nolan-mclean-impresses-sloppy-defense-nationals-9-20-25" rel="noopener">in the process.</a></p><p>“I felt like my stuff felt good,” McLean told SNY. “The first couple of innings, I could’ve done a much better job getting ahead. Also once I got the two strikes, I could’ve done a better job expanding the zone and throwing a few more putaway pitches.”</p><p>While the Mets ultimately lost the game in heartbreaking fashion, McLean kept his team in the game. Despite New York’s defense leaving him in challenging situations early, the rookie was able to buckle down and deliver a quality appearance. The 24-year-old has not spent much time at the major league level, but his early results and maturity should encourage the Mets to mark McLean as their Game 1 starter in a potential National League Wild Card series.</p><p>McLean has earned a 4-1 record and 1.27 ERA through his first seven starts. His six pitches have largely kept opposing hitters at bay. In particular, his sweeper and sinker have helped cement his status as an arm that can either hunt strikeouts or pitch to contact.</p><p>According to Baseball Savant, <a href="https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/nolan-mclean-690997?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb" rel="noopener">he holds a K% of 27.9</a> and a ground-ball % of 63.1. To put this in perspective, New York Yankees starter Max Fried owns a K% of 23.5 and a ground-ball % of 52.7.</p><p>It could be said that having the capacity to induce either outcome at any given moment is a major playoff asset. This would be especially true for a young starter who may need to deal with uncomfortable circumstances and deep counts.</p><h2><b>Nolan McLean’s maturity makes him a viable October option</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Sep-14-2025-New-York-City-New-York-USA-New-York-Mets-pitcher-Nolan-McLean-26-delivers-a-pitch.-copy.jpg"><figcaption>© Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Beyond the statistics that have highlighted <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/why-mets-should-be-fired-up-nolan-mcleans-mlb-debut">McLean’s torrid start,</a> the right-hander has repeatedly shown the mental fortitude required to pitch in the postseason.</p><p>His last two starts, against the Texas Rangers and the Nationals, respectively, showcased two different yet critical qualities of his mental makeup. While McLean’s most recent appearance saw him keep the Mets in a game that initially seemed lost, his earlier performance against the Rangers was guided by a willingness to adapt on the fly.</p><p>He threw six scoreless innings in the Mets’ win over Texas earlier this month, even though the opposition initially attempted to be extremely patient and force the Willow Spring native to <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/09/14/sports/nolan-mclean-delivers-another-mets-gem-despite-rangers-strategy/" rel="noopener">work himself into deep counts.</a></p><p>“It looks like [the Rangers] had a good plan there, especially against his sweeper, where they took some pitches early in counts,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told the New York Post after the game. “They were aggressive on that pitch and [McLean] kind of recognized that and he started using that sinker. He started using that changeup … that is what makes this guy who he is.”</p><p>Both instances required grit. It can be a challenge for a starter to stay mentally sharp while trailing, and just as tricky to counter a lineup’s attempt to disrupt one’s rhythm.</p><p>New York’s starting rotation has dealt with injuries and other deficiencies down the stretch. Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, David Peterson, and Kodai Senga have each had questionable moments and have not cemented their status as trusted postseason starters. As a result, McLean may be the Mets’ best chance to ensure a smooth opening game.</p><p>With the Cincinnati Reds now owning the NL Wild Card tiebreaker, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-francisco-lindor-drops-truth-bomb-after-falling-out-of-wc-picture">New York still has work to do before finalizing its October plans.</a> But if the Mets can avoid a collapse, McLean has <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/nolan-mclean-s-8-scoreless-innings-help-mets-cap-sweep" rel="noopener">earned a chance</a> to headline their Wild Card rotation.</p><p>“Even though he’s a rookie,” Mets outfielder Juan Soto told MLB.com, “he’s like a veteran on the team.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Nolan McLean must be Mets’ NL Wild Card Game 1 starter

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-nolan-mclean-rookie-starters-dominate-amid-wild-card-race');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mets’ Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong dominate amid Wild Card race');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Mets-rookie-phenom-Nolan-McLean-deals-on-the-mound.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Hartline-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mets’ Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong dominate amid Wild Card race</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-19T10:06:06-07:00">September 19th, 10:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-19T10:06:27-07:00">September 19th, 10:06am</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The signs were there. Sean Manaea was a prime regression candidate, Kodai Senga faced serious durability concerns in 2024 (10 1/3 innings pitched in regular season and playoffs), Clay Holmes was unlikely to ever be a workhorse after spending the last several years of his career as a reliever and Frankie Montas has not been a productive hurler since the first half of 2022. The New York Mets’ starting pitching rotation appeared doomed before the new campaign even began.</p><p>Following an initial wave of collective dominance, the cracks started forming. A severe rupture then occurred, which contributed to the club’s plunge in the National League standings. Though, thanks to a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-rival-scout-drops-nasty-take-new-york-young-saviors">trio of rookie right-handers</a>, the Mets are still holding onto a playoff slot with nine games remaining in the regular season. There is a realistic possibility they end up sparing Flushing from one of the most catastrophic outcomes in modern MLB history.</p><p>Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat and Jonah Tong, all of whom made their MLB debuts within three weeks of each other, have <a href="https://x.com/SNY_Mets/status/1969033448867172604" rel="noopener">combined to pitch 17 scoreless innings</a> of 15-hit ball with 18 strikeouts and two walks in their most recent starts, via SNY. This youthful revolution is not adding energy into the clubhouse. It is desperately needed.</p><h2><b>Can the desperate Mets trust their youngsters to push them into the playoffs?</b></h2><p>Although their arrivals have not fixed all the Mets’ problems — the team lost eight straight games earlier this month before <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-pete-alonso-losing-streak-walk-off-home-run-rangers">Pete Alonso erupted</a> — they are coming through when it matters most. McLean has been terrific since debuting on Aug. 16, posting a 4-1 record with a 1.19 ERA and 40 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings of work. He has tossed at least five innings in all six of his starts, immediately conducting himself like a modern ace. If New York (79-74) maintains its two-game lead over both the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks and claims the final Wild Card slot, the 24-year-old will be a major reason why.</p><p>Sproat is also providing a big boost, allowing only three runs on nine hits in 12 innings. Tong has been more erratic in his four outings, surrendering six runs to the Texas Rangers on Sept. 12, while also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-brandon-nimmo-gives-young-ace-strong-support">shutting out the San Diego Padres</a> for five frames on Thursday. These three pitchers each offer their own brand of promise, and New York is hoping to benefit for a long time.</p><p>Trusting three inexperienced talents to take the mound in high-pressure situations down the stretch and potentially in October is certainly not ideal, and it probably could have been avoided if president of baseball operations David Stearns made some different choices in the offseason, but it is making for a solid backup plan at the moment.</p><p>The Mets welcome the Washington Nationals (62-91) into Citi Field for a three-game set this weekend. Brandon Sproat will start on Friday and Nolan McLean will try to clinch the series on Saturday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets’ Nolan McLean, Brandon Sproat, Jonah Tong dominate amid Wild Card race

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mets-news-nolan-mclean-makes-franchise-history-start-vs-rangers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Mets’ Nolan McLean makes franchise history after dazzling start vs Rangers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Sep-14-2025-New-York-City-New-York-USA-New-York-Mets-pitcher-Nolan-McLean-26-delivers-a-pitch.jpg"><figcaption>© Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Mets’ Nolan McLean makes franchise history after dazzling start vs Rangers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-15T09:39:51-07:00">September 15th, 9:39am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-15T09:39:51-07:00">September 15th, 9:39am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/colinloughran">Colin Loughran</a>Colin Loughran is a NYC-based Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He has spent several years covering sports and has worked for outlets such as the New York Post, AP Radio, and FanSided. Colin is also a three-time NYSBA award winner and a proud graduate of Fordham University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-pete-alonso-losing-streak-walk-off-home-run-rangers">New York Mets are fighting for their Postseason lives,</a> and starting pitcher Nolan McLean has helped keep them in the bout with a fiery rookie campaign.</p><p>With his latest start against the Texas Rangers on Sunday, McLean pushed his ERA down to 1.19 on the year. According to SNY, it is the lowest mark through six starts in franchise history <a href="https://x.com/SNY_Mets/status/1967610109959307320" rel="noopener">by a wide margin.</a></p><p>McLean hurled six scoreless innings, struck out seven batters, and surrendered only five hits and two walks during Sunday’s 5-2 10-inning win over Texas. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza complimented the youngster’s <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/09/14/sports/nolan-mclean-delivers-another-mets-gem-despite-rangers-strategy/" rel="noopener">ability to adjust</a> after the game.</p><p>“It looks like [the Rangers] had a good plan there, especially against his sweeper, where they took some pitches early in counts ” Mendoza told the New York Post. “They were aggressive on that pitch and [McLean] kind of recognized that and he started using that sinker. He started using that changeup … that is what makes this guy who he is.”</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-why-pete-alonso-sees-max-scherzer-nolan-mclean">Mets have needed McLean</a> to step up. Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, and others have not performed up to expectations, and the team has had to rely on McLean as well as fellow rookies Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat as a result.</p><p>Of the three rookies, McLean has cultivated the most starts and has impressed since his arrival in August.</p><p>“He’s impressed me every day when he’s on the mound,” Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez said. “He’s a guy that can move the ball around. He can control all his pitches, so that is what makes him so good.”</p><p>New York currently holds the National League’s final Wild Card spot with a 77-73 record. They are 1.5 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants for the coveted position.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Mets’ Nolan McLean makes franchise history after dazzling start vs Rangers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-why-pete-alonso-sees-max-scherzer-nolan-mclean');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Mets’ Pete Alonso sees Max Scherzer in Nolan McLean');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Mets-news-Why-Pete-Alonso-sees-Max-Scherzer-in-Nolan-McLean.jpg"><figcaption>© John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Mets’ Pete Alonso sees Max Scherzer in Nolan McLean</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-09-14T10:14:51-07:00">September 14th, 10:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-09-14T10:14:51-07:00">September 14th, 10:14am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/colinloughran">Colin Loughran</a>Colin Loughran is a NYC-based Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He has spent several years covering sports and has worked for outlets such as the New York Post, AP Radio, and FanSided. Colin is also a three-time NYSBA award winner and a proud graduate of Fordham University.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>New York <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/why-mets-should-be-fired-up-nolan-mcleans-mlb-debut">Mets starter Nolan McLean</a> recently received high praise from teammate Pete Alonso, who <a href="https://x.com/JonHeyman/status/1967248943089328421" rel="noopener">compared the young star</a> to a seasoned veteran.</p><p>Alonso told Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post that he sees a bit of starter Max Scherzer in McLean. The slugger specifically pointed out McLean’s competitive makeup and commitment to winning.</p><p>“I see a bit of Max Scherzer in him, like the psycho competitive. Obviously, Max has been in the big leagues for a really long time, and he’s had the success, the Cy Youngs to kind of be more outward with it,” Alonso said. “When Nolan starts to find more success, become more comfortable in his role as a big league starter. He’s gonna have that psycho Max Scherzer competitiveness, and I love every second of it.”</p><p>Scherzer spent just over a year with Alonso and the Mets. Across 42 starts with New York, he went 20-9 and posted a 3.02 ERA.</p><p>McLean has been excellent to start his MLB career. Since making his debut in August, the 24-year-old has gone 4-1 and posted a 1.42 ERA. His sweeper and sinker have helped make him a valuable member of the Mets’ rotation.</p><p>The Willow Spring native has shown <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/09/02/sports/mets-bats-stay-red-hot-to-back-nolan-mclean-for-win-over-tigers/" rel="noopener">the kind of grit</a> that could be valuable in October. Earlier this month, against the Detroit Tigers, McLean turned in six innings of solid work despite surrendering two runs in the first inning.</p><p>“[McLean] showed a lot of maturity there,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told the New York Post. “He’s a guy that looks like he’s got a pretty good feeling, idea of what he’s trying to do on the mound. … He found a way, and that’s not easy to do for a 24-year-old.”</p><p>The Mets have needed McLean’s arm, and he will need to channel his competitiveness <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/new-york-mets/mets-news-juan-soto-no-excuses-8th-straight-loss">if New York has designs on making the Postseason.</a></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
144	2.06	57	1.04	5

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	WINS
144	2.06	57	1.04	5

Nolan McLean

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