New York Mets starter Nolan McLean recently received high praise from teammate Pete Alonso, who compared the young star to a seasoned veteran.
Alonso told Jon Heyman and Joel Sherman of the New York Post that he sees a bit of starter Max Scherzer in McLean. The slugger specifically pointed out McLean’s competitive makeup and commitment to winning.
“I see a bit of Max Scherzer in him, like the psycho competitive. Obviously, Max has been in the big leagues for a really long time, and he's had the success, the Cy Youngs to kind of be more outward with it,” Alonso said. “When Nolan starts to find more success, become more comfortable in his role as a big league starter. He's gonna have that psycho Max Scherzer competitiveness, and I love every second of it.”
Scherzer spent just over a year with Alonso and the Mets. Across 42 starts with New York, he went 20-9 and posted a 3.02 ERA.
McLean has been excellent to start his MLB career. Since making his debut in August, the 24-year-old has gone 4-1 and posted a 1.42 ERA. His sweeper and sinker have helped make him a valuable member of the Mets’ rotation.
The Willow Spring native has shown the kind of grit that could be valuable in October. Earlier this month, against the Detroit Tigers, McLean turned in six innings of solid work despite surrendering two runs in the first inning.
“[McLean] showed a lot of maturity there,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told the New York Post. “He’s a guy that looks like he’s got a pretty good feeling, idea of what he’s trying to do on the mound. … He found a way, and that’s not easy to do for a 24-year-old.”
The Mets have needed McLean’s arm, and he will need to channel his competitiveness if New York has designs on making the Postseason.
