Who NY Mets fans should root for Nolan McLean to face in the WBC Championship

New York Mets fans will be glued to the TV on Tuesday night when Nolan McLean starts for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic championship game.

And believe it or not, Mets fans actually have a good reason to root against McLean on Tuesday. That's because a failed performance for the supremely talented McLean would light a fire under him heading into the 2026 season and teach McLean a valuable lesson that's thus far escaped him.

A tough outing for Nolan McLean in the WBC final would be positive for his Mets career

We won't find out until Monday night who McLean will face between Team Italy and Team Venezuela in the WBC final. But if it ends up being Italy, McLean would be faced with a potential learning experience on Tuesday.

This would mark the second time McLean faces Italy in the span of a week, presenting a unique challenge for the 24-year-old phenom. McLean allowed two homers to the Italians in three innings during his prior start, and while this outing wasn't a valid cause for concern for McLean, facing Italy a second time would be a fascinating situation for Mets onlookers.

Nolan McLean isn't used to facing the same lineup twice

McLean, in his eight-game MLB stint in 2025, only had one experience of facing the same lineup twice within a short timeframe. After throwing eight innings of four-hit, shutout ball against the Philadelphia Phillies on August 27, McLean faced the Phillies again on September 8, this time taking the loss while allowing seven hits and one earned run in 5 1/3 -- a solid outing, nonetheless.

The point is this: McLean lacks experience going up against the same lineup on multiple occasions, as he'll be doing so routinely in 2026 and for the rest of his big league career.

While a dominant performance on Tuesday would make McLean and Mets fans feel great in the moment, an outing defined by disappointment would actually be healthier for McLean and the Mets in the long run.

McLean doesn't lack confidence. Ahead of Tuesday's humongous moment, he's said that he's "raring to go" and "built for this," and no one has any reason to doubt it.

A talent as rare and potent as McLean doesn't struggle with self-belief. It's humility or hunger to improve that can get guys like him in trouble, leading to complacency and the notion that one's weaknesses need not be addressed.

Am I advocating here that McLean is a guy who needs to be knocked down a rung on the ladder? No. Rather, the idea here is that McLean is a strong-willed prospect who would only be made more powerful by adversity.

That said, adversity on the diamond has been hard to come by for McLean so far in his baseball life, given his gifts. If it feels wrong to root against McLean in the WBC finale as a Mets fan, don't. Just know that if the outing goes awry, it'll only breed positive outcomes for McLean in 2026 while he's wearing orange and blue.