Nolan McLean appears to be the real deal. Sure, he's only made two big-league starts, but the 24-year-old has been dominant in those outings. McLean most recently led the New York Mets to a 12-7 win over the Atlanta Braves, as the pitcher turned in seven innings of two-run baseball while striking out seven.
According to OptaSTATS, McLean is the only pitcher in MLB history since ERA became an official statistic in both leagues in 1913 to record a 2-0 record, ERA below 1.50, opposing batting average below .150, 15 or more strikeouts and less than five walks across his first two big-league outings.
MLB has seen many great pitchers since 1913. There have been multi-time Cy Young winners, All-Stars and standout rookies. Yet, McLean accomplished a feat that hasn't been seen before in the history of the sport.
McLean made his MLB debut against the Seattle Mariners on August 16. The right-handed hurler kept the Mariners scoreless across 5.1 innings of work while striking out eight and surrendering only two hits. The Mets won the game 3-1.
McLean's debut was stellar. He was not quite as dominant against the Braves, but he also worked deeper into the game. Of course, McLean was still sharp in the outing as evidenced by only allowing two earned runs and four hits. Additionally, McLean did not hand out a single free pass after allowing four walks in his debut.
The Mets currently trail the Philadelphia Phillies by six games in the National League East. McLean's pitching may be the secret to making things interesting in the division. If not, New York will still likely clinch a National League Wild Card position. Perhaps McLean will continue his strong performance in the postseason.
Still, the young pitcher has only made two starts. He has a lot left to prove at the big-league level. However, his first two outings have been about as good as one could have hoped for.
