Nolan McLean’s first Mets call-up is a ‘dream come true’

Nolan McLean had just finished up his bullpen session on Wednesday when Triple-A Syracuse pitching coach A.J. Sager had some news to share.

“He just said, ‘It’s really cool when we get to see everybody’s hard work come from a homegrown guy and pay off,’ ” the 24-year-old McLean recalled Friday afternoon before the Mets opened a three-game series against the Mariners at Citi Field. “He pointed at me and tossed me the ball and said, ‘McLean’s throwing on Saturday.’ I was excited.”

Indeed, the Mets finally called up their top pitching prospect to try and jumpstart their struggling starting rotation amid losses in 13 of their last 15 games.

McLean will make his long-awaited debut in an afternoon matinee against Seattle on Saturday, in front of a home crowd that will include “quite a few” members of his friends and family.

The fans have been itching for this.

The Mets need this.

Over the last 52 games, during which the Mets have gone an embarrassing 19-33, their starters have posted baseball’s fifth-worst ERA (5.30) and amassed the fewest innings in MLB.

They recently completed an entire rotation turn without a single starter lasting five innings.

As their lead over the Reds for the final NL wild-card spot shrunk to just a half-game following Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Braves, the Mets are hoping the kid can provide a much-needed jolt to finish the 2025 season strong.

“I think the thing for me is just going out there and trusting my stuff,” McLean said of how to balance wanting to make an impression with keeping it simple. “Trying to enjoy the moment and just compete with everything I got. At the same time, being able to pick everybody’s brains here and get some experience, some opinions on other things.”

Manager Carlos Mendoza has indicated the plan is to give McLean — who has posted a 2.78 ERA in 16 appearances (13 starts) this season for Triple-A Syracuse — an extended look.

Everything McLean has shown in the minors this season indicates he could be exactly what the Mets need.

He has thrown at least six innings in nine starts this season, in addition to reaching at least 90 pitches seven times.

The right-hander is said to have a deep bag of pitch types, his most exciting being a sweeper that registers in the mid-80s.

“People in player development [say] he’s a big-league pitcher,” Mendoza said. “And then the other thing I told him is to just have fun. Have fun, go out there and be yourself. We’re not expecting heroes here. Just go out there and be yourself. Give us a chance to win a baseball game and he just smiled.”

McLean is one of three key pitching prospects in the Mets cupboard — along with Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat — who the fanbase has been clamoring for.

Selected with the 91st overall pick in 2023, the Willow Spring, N.C., native is the first member of the Mets’ draft class that year to reach the majors.

When McLean heard he’d be making his debut, he first called his mom, then his fiance.

Though he was a bit surprised to hear he got the call, the young hurler plans to just take it one game at a time.

Being able to throw strikes with most of his pitches on any count, he said, is why the 2025 season has gone so well for him so far.

“It’s a dream come true,” he said. “I remember telling my dad when I was really little, seeing some big leaguers play, I’m like I want to do that. It seems like fun playing baseball for a living. It’s definitely a dream come true.”