If there was a non-Juan-Soto bright spot that emerged from the New York Mets' disastrous 2025 campaign, it was the emergence of Nolan McLean. The organization's top pitching prospect dazzled in his five-week MLB debut, going 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA in eight starts while setting some significant records along the way. Team USA came calling this week, as they added the 24-year-old to their roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, which runs from March 5-17.
Pete Alonso bailed out an unreliable bullpen with a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift New York to a 5-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at Citi Field. The win snaps a heinous eight-game losing streak that saw the Mets (77-73) temporarily fall out of a playoff spot, though Sunday's result temporarily gives them a one-game lead over the San Francisco Giants for the third and final National League Wild Card spot.
The Mets in their entire history have as many wins by the score of 12-7 as Nolan McLean has wins by any score in his week-old career. The franchise required 64 seasons and a leaky bullpen to post a second win of exactly this kind, while each milestone for their newest starting pitcher appears to be the briefest of stopping-off points before he accomplishes bigger and better things.
