McLean Displays Velocity Gains, Blows Away Astros
Nolan McLean and the Mets’ pitching staff dominated, and the Mets (3-2-1) got a pair of home runs as they downed the Astros (1-3) in Palm Beach on Thursday.
Thursday’s game started fast as Marcus Semien hit a single that deflected off pitcher Tatsuya Imai‘s hand. Thankfully, Imai was not hurt, shaking off the trainer, and the inning ended quickly with a fly out followed by a double play. This brought up McLean for his first start of spring. After a base hit to Jeremy Peña, McLean retired the next three batters.
McLean showed some velocity gains early. His sinker, which averaged 94 MPH in 2025, sat at 97 MPH. A 97.6 MPH sinker in the second inning surpassed his 2025 single-game high of 97.2 MPH. His curveball came in at 84 MPH, up from 80 MPH in 2025 and above his previous ceiling of 82.3 MPH. He also dialed up his changeup to 90 MPH in the third inning, four ticks higher than his 2025 average of 86 MPH.
McLean ended his scoreless outing after four innings and 56 pitches. He was still hitting 96.4 MPH on his sinker and 97.5 MPH on his four-seam fastball at the end of his outing. From the first through the third inning, he retired nine in a row with four strikeouts. He ended his outing with six strikeouts and one walk.
After a double from Luis Torrens and a walk from Jared Young, the Mets got the scoring started with a 419-foot home run by Tyrone Taylor off Steven Okert. He hit the ball 106 MPH to center field. Marcus Semien would continue to help the Mets rack up runs with a solo home run to lead off the third inning off a fastball from Bryan King. He hit it 99.8 MPH off the bat and 389 feet deep.
The fourth inning began with a 111.2 MPH single from Ronny Mauricio, followed by a hit and run from Luis Torrens, which got Mauricio to third. Mauricio scored on a sac fly from Jared Young against pitcher AJ Blubaugh. While the Mets did not score again in the game, Bo Bichette‘s third hard hit ball of the game turned into a 109.6 MPH double in the fifth inning.
Robert Stock came into the fifth inning in relief for a one-two-three inning. Stock returned in the sixth, striking out the side. He also came back out in the seventh, giving up a hit to Jack Winkler, the Astros’ first hit since Peña’s in the first inning. He retired the next three batters, two on strikeouts. Stock’s velocity on his four-seam fastball and cutter were up significantly from 2025. Stock is looking to win one of the remaining bullpen spots, and this showing should help his case.
Anderson Severino replaced Robert Stock for a scoreless inning, including a strikeout and double play. He is competing for the lefty bullpen spot at the start of the season while A.J. Minter is on the injured list. He primarily spammed his 96.5 MPH four-seam fastball. Ben Simon ended the game with a scoreless ninth inning that included two walks and two strikeouts.
Player of the Game
McLean blew away the Astros in a scoreless outing with his new velocity. He averaged 96.3 MPH on his sinker, 96.5 MPH on his four-seam fastball, 88.3 MPH on his changeup, 85.6 MPH on his sweeper, 82.8 MPH on his curveball, and 93 MPH on his cutter. This roughly two MPH jump across all pitches is something to watch through spring as he gets stretched out further. His spin rate also averaged 100-200 RPMs higher across the board with increased movement.
On Deck
Freddy Peralta will make his Mets spring debut Friday, February 27, at 1:05 PM against the Cardinals and former top prospect Quinn Mathews in Jupiter. This game will not be televised.
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