New York Mets Star Pitcher Nolan McLean Surging In CBS Sports Latest Rookie Rankings

There isn’t a lot to be excited about regarding the New York Mets at the quarter-mark of the 2026 MLB season.

The offseason losses of Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz, along with trading away Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil, were tough pills to swallow.

The splashy offseason additions of Bo Bichette and Jorge Polanco haven’t worked out as expected, although Bichette has turned a corner as of late.

Freddy Peralta has pitched well, but he is a rental unless the two sides can finalize a deal on a long-term contract.

Now, at least rookie pitcher Nolan McLean has pitched well.

McLean, 24, made eight starts for the Mets in 2025, going 5-1 with a 2.06 ERA. In 2026, he has pitched well, going 2-3 with a 3.57 ERA in 10 starts, although he is coming off the worst outing of the season in a loss to the Washington Nationals.

Dayn Perry of CBS Sports compiled some rookie rankings, and McLean made the list at No. 7, although this was published before McLean’s outing against Washington.

Here was Perry’s list as of May 14:

Kevin McGonigle, Detroit Tigers

Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox

JJ Wetherholt, St. Louis Cardinals

Chase DeLauter, Cleveland Guardians

Parker Messick, Cleveland Guardians

Foster Griffin, Washington Nationals

Nolan McLean, New York Mets

Samuel Basallo, Baltimore Orioles

Sal Stewart, Cincinnati Reds

Connelly Early, Boston Red Sox

And, here is what Perry wrote about McLean landing on this list.

“Through his first eight starts of the year, McLean has pitched to a 2.78 ERA in 45 ⅓ innings with 57 strikeouts, 12 walks, and a WHIP of 0.9. He backs it all up with an FIP of 2.39, and he’s striking out more than 30% of opposing batters. The latter is an elite figure for a starting pitcher.”

Perry also added that McLean has a “very deep repertoire” and entered the season with a ton of hype.

McLean also made the roster for Team USA at the World Baseball Classic, so that is no small feat.

Team USA manager Mark DeRosa even turned to McLean for the WBC final, showing how much he depended on the rookie even in a big moment.

As for the Mets, Clay Holmes is injured for some time, and while Peralta has pitched well, McLean could make a case for the best pitcher in Queens.

It’s quite a season early on for McLean, and let’s see if he can bounce back after a rough start against Washington.

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