Mets’ Nolan McLean Will Abandons Hitting To Focus On Pitching
The Mets drafted Oklahoma State two-way player Nolan McLean in the third round in 2023. Roughly a year after being drafted, the 22-year-old is ditching hitting and committing to pitching only. McLean worked as a reliever in college but has started exclusively for the Mets this season at High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton. In addition to making 16 starts as a righthander, he made an additional 35 starts at DH. The extra rest between starts will help McLean recover as he adapts to starting, while also allowing more time for pitch development during side sessions. McLean has recorded a 4.19 ERA with 78 strikeouts, 23 walks and eight home runs through 66.2 innings. As a hitter, he pairs big power (.254 isolated slugging) with major swing-and-miss issues (52% strikeout rate).
