NY Mets are about to do to the Orioles what we feared Kumar Rocker would do to us

During the 2021 MLB Draft, New York Mets fans were bursting with excitement over who the team had selected. With the 10th overall pick, they selected pitcher Kumar Rocker out of Vanderbilt. Rocker was part of Vanderbilt's star pitching staff, highlighted by Jack Leiter, and was the sixth overall prospect in the draft, according to MLB Pipeline. It had appeared the Mets had gotten a future ace.

However, the dream of Rocker one day becoming the ace of the Mets quickly vanished once contract negotiations began. A soap opera unfolded with the two sides fighting over medicals, something Mets fans have become accustomed to. In the end, the two sides were unable to agree to a deal, and Rocker re-entered the draft in 2023. When the Rangers selected him with the 3rd overall pick in the 2023 draft, many fans were nervous that it would haunt us.

Thankfully for Mets fans, Rocker has struggled in his short big league career. While there is still plenty of time for him to turn it around, the Mets appear to be vindicated in not signing him. However, there is another fanbase who are feeling similar to how Mets fans felt. Those being Orioles fans, as they're about to see Nolan McLean pitch for the Mets on Saturday.

Why Nolan McLean is about to haunt Orioles fans

The Mets were not the first team to draft McLean. In fact, a year before the Mets selected McLean in the 3rd round, 2022, the Orioles drafted the right-handed pitcher from Oklahoma State University. It appeared that the O's had found the ace to pair with the group of talented position players they had been amassing. That was the same draft that landed the Orioles Jackson Holiday and Dylan Beavers.

But similar to the Mets-Rocker situation, the two sides hit a speed bump once they began contract negotiations. Although it has never been officially stated, it's believed that the Orioles had a problem with something that appeared in McLean's physical. This caused them to try to negotiate McLean's price down, but he refused to take anything lower than what his slot was valued at, causing the two sides to not agree to a deal.

At first, Orioles fans weren't too concerned about the loss of McLean. Sure, they'd like to have him, but it gave them the money to sign Carter Young, their 17th-round draft pick, and they were given a comp pick in 2023. They used that pick to select outfielder Tavian Josenberger. But both of these players seemed to be busts. Neither one of them is on the MLB Pipeline Top 30 Orioles prospect list. They also both have OPS under 650 in the upper levels of the Orioles system. It's a long shot we see either one in the majors.

To make things worst, the Orioles are in desperate need of pitching. A significant reason why the Orioles have collapsed in 2025 has been due to the struggles of their starting pitching. The staff has an ERA of 4.90 with a BABIP of .305. Having a pitcher like McLean, who has been doing so well in the minors this season, would help with the struggles and give the Orioles at least one pitcher they could rely on. Instead, they'll have to watch him take the Citi Field mound on Saturday and wonder what could've been.