2 NY Mets prospects who’ll crack MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list midyear, 1 who’ll be just shy

Nolan McLean will be a top 100 prospect this year

Nolan McLean may not be on MLB Pipeline’s top 100, but he is on Baseball America’s top 100 list. He comes in at #99. Although McLean entered the season as a two-way prospect, the Mets ultimately decided to let him focus on pitching just about halfway through the 2024 season. But he showed off some decent stuff as a pitcher.

McLean had a better season as a pitcher than he did as a batter. He tossed 109.2 innings, working to a 3.78 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, and 4.03 FIP. He struck out just a touch over a quarter of opponents with a 25.1% K% while allowing a walk to 9.1% of batters. McLean was also not home run prone, as he induced ground balls at a 49.6% rate and held opponents to a 0.82 HR/9.

The Mets dropped McLean’s two-way prowess after he turned in a .192/.266/.446 triple-slash, .321 wOBA, and 99 wRC+. McLean showed off some power potential, going yard eight times and posting a .254 isolated slugging percentage. But there were some obviously large holes in his game. McLean struck out at a 51.7% rate. By the end of June, the Mets opted to have McLean focus solely on pitching.

But he should be able to stick as a pitcher long-term. McLean’s four-seam fastball sits in the mid-90s, topping out around 98 MPH. His best pitch is his slider, which both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America project as plus-plus. It is a low-to-mid-80s breaker with an impressive amount of spin, clocking in with over 3,000 RPM regularly. According to Baseball America, he also started mixing in a curveball and two-seamer. Although McLean will need to continue to improve his control and command, he has the potential to be a starter for the Mets.