Mets rookie McLean shows off arsenal, athleticism in impressive debut

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NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza turned to bench coach John Gibbons as they watched pitcher Nolan McLean get into his first big league jam on Saturday.

“I think I told Gibbons ‘All right, let’s see what we’ve got here right away,’” Mendoza said.

The Mets might have themselves a keeper.

The 24-year-old right-hander made a highlight reel double play to escape the third inning and earned the win in his major league debut on Saturday when he tossed 5 1/3 scoreless frames to help the Mets to a much-needed 3-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

McLean allowed two hits, walked four and struck out eight in the longest scoreless outing by a Mets starter since June 11, when David Peterson shut out the Washington Nationals. New York’s rotation entered Saturday averaging 4.96 innings per appearance.

“We needed that — as a team, as an organization, given where we’re at and how hard it’s been for us,” Mendoza said after the Mets won for just the third time in 17 games.

McLean showed off a five-pitch arsenal that included a high-70s curveball, a high-80s sweeper, a 90-mph cutter and sinkers and fastballs both measured in the high 90s. He limited the Mariners to one hit in 10 plate appearances with a runner on base.

The former two-way player — a third-round pick of the Mets out of Oklahoma State in 2023 — also displayed his athleticism in the third. McLean walked J.P. Crawford and Cole Young before Cal Raleigh’s one-out single loaded the bases for Julio Rodríguez, who has 10 homers since the All-Star Break.

But McLean made a no-look, behind-the-back grab of Rodríguez’s comebacker and began the 1-4-3 double play. First baseman Pete Alonso grinned widely as he looked at the ball in his glove and McLean smiled while walking off the mound.

“I try to stay as athletic as possible,” McLean said. “But I think that play was majority luck, honestly.”

McLean allowed just two more baserunners over his final nine batters. He is the seventh Mets starter to throw at least five scoreless innings in his major league debut and the sixth to strike out at least eight batters.

“He was just at ease and executed from pitch one,” said shortstop Francisco Lindor, who put the Mets ahead with an RBI double in the bottom of the third. “I felt like the more the crowd got involved, the more he fed off it.”

A sellout crowd of 42,978 gave McLean three standing ovations — when he walked off the mound in the sixth and again when he was pictured on the scoreboard prior to the seventh and ninth innings.

“That was unbelievable,” McLean said. “It was definitely special to get that.”

After Edwin Díaz recorded the final out, the Mets waited for McLean to join them near second base for their usual post-victory dance.

“Surreal — I mean, I couldn’t have dreamed it up any better, from the fans to being able to compete against a good Seattle team,” McLean said.

Mendoza grinned when asked if McLean had earned another start, likely against the Atlanta Braves next weekend.

“I think so,” he said. “Don’t you?”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb