The first pitch was a ball. The second, Rodríguez lined toward McLean, who fielded the ball on one hop behind his back, and then had the presence of mind to throw to second for a chance at a double-play.

There are many culprits. A starry, highly paid lineup main four of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo has lacked enough clutch impact. A refortified bullpen has been central to blowing leads in each of the seven games going into Saturday.

New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza liked what he saw in rookie pitcher Nolan McLean. The 24-year-old right-hander made a highlight reel double play to escape the third inning and earned the win in h

After what had been a disappointing past few weeks to say the least, New York Mets fans were treated to a memorable MLB debut from top prospect Nolan McLean on

Nolan McLean did not arrive in Queens with much experience in the art of being a savior. Prior to McLean’s debut Saturday, Mets officials had all but thrown up bright yellow caution signs, begging fans not to place him on too high of a pedestal.

Nolan McLean is as advertised. In fact, in his MLB debut, he had a start only matched by one of the most-hyped young pitchers in Mets history. McLean went 5.1 innings on Saturday and struck out eight without allowing a run.

As reported by SNY's Andy Martino, one scout believes the Mets made the right call in opting for McLean over Sproat, noting that McLean is slightly ahead in his development.