Nolan McLean Has Almost No Weaknesses As A Rookie

[Cory Sparks]

Image courtesy of © Brad Penner-Imagn Images

It probably shouldn’t be a shock to anyone to be hearing this, especially after how he looked last year, but Nolan McLean is off to a remarkable start in 2026. Let’s take a deep dive into his advanced analytics to break down why he is giving hitters such fits, as the 24-year-old does have a unique aspect that not many others possess.

Nolan McLean’s Background

Nolan McLean was originally a two-way prospect out of Oklahoma State. He actually held the bat over his shoulder until he broke into the upper ranks of the Mets’ farm system, too. The guy had a decent amount of power, but he struck out a lot and started hanging out below the Mendoza line a little too much. Once he started focusing on just pitching, his stuff elevated to a whole new level. 

An Otherworldly Strikeout Rate

McLean broke out last year, logging a 2.06 earned run average and a 5-1 record over eight starts and 41 innings. Bridging the gap between last season and this time around, the 24-year-old righty competed at the World Baseball Classic and once again looks dominant. What makes him such a promising young star? It starts with every pitcher’s favorite stat: the strikeout rate. McLean is living well above the league average, punching out 31.5 percent of the hitters he’s faced to this point.

A fastball riding in at an average of just over 95 miles per hour helps, as it has plenty of arm-side movement to go with a sinker that he can break off as well. McLean sports a 32 degree arm angle, meaning he can push plenty of horizontal movement on those primary pitches.

Generating Soft Contact

McLean may have a high strikeout rate, but it’s no secret that everyone allows contact from time to time. Even some pitchers with high punchout totals get hit around, but does McLean? No. His average exit velocity allowed is one of the better rates in all of baseball at just 86 miles per hour. That puts him in the top 10 percent of all pitchers. He also allows a relatively low barrel percentage, and his hard-hit rate is lower than the league average to complement his assortment of proof that he knows how to control the contact game.

Pitch Variety

But what’s the weapon that most 24-year-old hurlers don’t have? Along with having a high-octane fastball/sinker combo, McLean is sporting a six-pitch arsenal. He spins that sinker in at 37% of the time, and then it’s a gradual decrease from using the four-seamer 18% of the time to a changeup that gets utilized on just 8% of his offerings. This is the type of arsenal you’ll see some of the elite pitchers build out as they get into their primes. Seth Lugo with the Kansas City Royals is a prime example of someone who developed a deeper arsenal as he got older.

But, sometimes, you’ll get the occasional starter who has the velocity AND the mix, like a Paul Skenes or in this case, Nolan McLean. So far, the curveball is his most dangerous offering, as McLean has 22 strikeouts in 29 at-bats finished and has allowed just one hit off of it. That’s a ridiculous .034 batting average against for McLean’s curve. Four of his six offerings have an opposing batting average south of the Mendoza line. 

Keeping the Ball Out of the Air

Is there anything to tweak with McLean’s game? You’d really have to nitpick to do it, but one thing I’ve noticed over a small sample size is a spike in line drive rate. It’s up to 29% from just 20% a season ago. Consequently, the righty has forced just a 42% ground ball rate, so opposing hitters are elevating off of him, but he has so many options and so much movement on his pitches that it still isn’t quality contact. As long as that average exit velocity stays down, he’ll continue to be one of the more dominant pitchers in today’s game.

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[MFS62]

Well, that gave him the old whammy. 😢

later