Statistical Spotlight: Nolan McLean’s Curveball
One of the few bright spots for the New York Mets down the stretch last year was the performance of pitching prospect Nolan McLean. McLean was called up on August 13, and while the Mets only went 19-24 since that call-up, the Mets held a 6-2 record for the games that McLean started. McLean was actually only credited with one loss for his stint in the big leagues, finishing with a 5-1 record.
McLean really dazzled on the mound, and his statistics show it. Among them, he had a remarkable 2.06 ERA in eight starts, he had a spectacular 30.3% strikeout rate, and he went at least five innings in all his starts and went six or more in four of them. Lastly, in only one of his starts he allowed more than two earned runs.
These were all incredible statistics to compile for his first starts in an MLB season. What really helped him be a difference-maker was his pitch shaping. Let’s take a look, specifically, at the movement on his electric curveball.
McLean’s pitch repertoire consisted of a sinker, sweeper, curveball, four-seamer, changeup, and cutter. He threw his sinker and sweeper the most, at 28% and 26%, respectively, then followed by his big curveball at 16%. While all his pitches had movement on it, the curveball was the one that had unreal movement on it that dazzled both fans and analysts.
McLean’s curveball had an average of 26 inches of total movement. That was in the 100th percentile, meaning he led the league in curveball movement. As a result, McLean compiled a whopping 67.9% strikeout rate on his curveball and batters also only hit .074. That is a potent weapon.
While the Mets are figuring out how their starting rotation will look in 2026, one thing must remain: McLean. He made enough of an impact in a high pressure situation down the stretch to earn his right to be in the starting five for the start of the 2026 season. Yes, his sample size was only eight games, however, they were all successful. McLean’s stuff is electric and seems to be confusing batters.
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