Before Wednesday’s game between the Mets and Texas Rangers, manager Andy Green was asked what is the biggest area in Nolan McLean‘s game that he can take a step forward in to reach that next level that the skipper always talks about.
Green mentioned the right-hander throwing strikes consistently and limiting his walks, but was quick to say, “and that’s not by diminishing stuff, it’s by using the stuff you have and understanding how to get ahead and to finish.”
It was one of the many times this season that Green spoke about his young players in a way that seemed to challenge them – even when they’ve played great – because he knows they’re capable of more.
Shortly thereafter, McLean took the mound and, heeding his manager’s advice, looked amazing through four perfect innings. Things went awry for the rookie in the fifth inning, however, when the Rangers tagged him for two runs after McLean allowed three hits and a walk in the inning.
Just a few hours before that, Green practically predicted it.
“I actually think he does that really well for a pretty good portion of each game and then there’s usually one inning where it’s like here for a little, kinda lost it, now I found it again, now I compete, now I get out of it,” the skipper said. “The less and less he does that, and look he’s not gonna be perfect, but the more he drives that down and the less and less he does that he’s gonna get himself out of more jams by not getting into them.”
The foreshadowing by Green was uncanny, though it shouldn’t come as a surprise considering he’s known most of these young players since they joined the organization as the Senior Vice President for Player Development.
After that difficult fifth inning, McLean went right back to being dominant and retired the next six batters in order on just 13 pitches to complete his final outing of the season. Even in the fifth inning, the right-hander had the bases loaded with one out and managed to exit with just one run scoring.
“Those guys were aggressive so any time a team’s aggressive like that and you’re filling up the strike zone, you’re relying a lot on your defense and sometimes they just don’t hit it at guys and in the fifth inning they hit a few balls away from people and that’s part of it,” McLean said. “So I was just kind of trusting my stuff that they were eventually gonna hit it at people to try to minimize and if I get to two strikes I’ll execute a pitch and punch him out.
“And then going back out in the sixth, making sure to keep that same game plan and not necessarily getting tentative just because they put a few balls in play [earlier].”
McLean ended his rookie campaign by going 12-10 with a 3.16 ERA, eighth-lowest in the NL, in 31 starts. He’s also the only Mets starter this season who didn’t miss a single start, impressive for a 25-year-old rookie whose season started at the World Baseball Classic pitching for Team USA.
“I try to take pride in going out there and competing every single time, whether I have my stuff or not and that’s what matters most to me, just going out there and making each start,” McLean said.
Meanwhile, Green, for all his challenges that he gives his players, was impressed with McLean’s body of work and knows the right-hander will get back to work soon enough after he enjoys this one just a little while longer.
“I don’t think that was like his vintage stuff and it still found a way to be really, really good,” Green said about McLean’s outing on Wednesday. “Velocity was a little bit down today. Last outing of a long season that started at the WBC and felt that he competed incredibly well today.
“He’s just kind of the person he’s been, just figure out a way to get it done even if it doesn’t feel your best. So [I’m] proud of him, proud of the season he’s had. He’s got a lot to hang his hat on right now and I know it won’t take long for him to get back to work and get going.”
As for whether or not McLean did enough to take home the NL Rookie of the Year honors in what has become a solid class that includes teammate Carson Benge, Green isn’t so sure his right-hander will be in the conversation.
Nevertheless, it doesn’t take hardware to know what kind of pitcher McLean is.
“He’s the best rookie pitcher in the National League and I think that’s pretty obvious to everybody,” Green said.
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