Nolan McLean's WBC Debut: Pressure Test for Mets Pitcher

0:00It's March 17th. Here's your New York Met's news in two minutes. Subscribe to Stay Locked in All Season. New York Met's rookie pitcher Nolan McClean is set to star for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic Championship game against Venezuela. The 24-year-old right-hander will take the mound at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Lone Depot Park in Miami. It's a huge moment for someone with just 8 big league starts under his belt. Distant coach Matt Holliday pushed hard from McClean's spot on the roster. Holliday, also a volunteer coach at Oklahoma State, called manager Mark Derosa several times to rave about the pitcher's mindset and stuff. Derosa agreed after chatting with McClean, saying his drive made him a perfect fit. Fans and teammates see this as a major test for the young hurler. McClean impressed in the minors and posted a 5-in-1 record with a 2.06 ERA and 57 strike outs over 48 innings in his late 2025 debut. His prior WBC outing against Italy had some bumps, but he struck out four and felt strong

1:05overall. Derosa and the Met staff believe McClean thrives in pressure. No lingering issues from early vertical symptoms either. He's all in, calling it a dream to wear USA across his chest and compete at the highest level. Looking ahead, McClean expects some Met's teammates to cheer him on from Port St. Lucy. When our lose, it'll sharpen him for his first full major league season with New York. Thanks to our sponsor for supporting today's coverage. Podcasts hit different when the sound comes from your pillow. Once you try it, it just makes sense, S-O-L-I, solely pillow.com.