How Mets’ Nolan McLean pitched for Team USA in WBC final

Nolan McLean likely would have been the Mets’ Game 1 starter had they made the playoffs last year.

On Tuesday, he got the ball in a playoff-like atmosphere on a global stage.

The United States hurler allowed two runs on four hits over 4 2/3 innings while striking out four in the World Baseball Classic championship game against Venezuela.

McLean, who averaged 95 mph on his fastball during his rookie campaign, was consistently hitting 98 and above on Tuesday.

Nolan McLean of Team United States pitches against Team Venezuela during the first inning at loanDepot park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. Getty Images

McLean got off to an inauspicious start when Ronald Acuna Jr. rocketed a 108.4 mph single on the first pitch of the ballgame. But the righty settled down, inducing a double play from Maikel Garcia before Luis Arraez hit a lazy flyout to center. In all, the frame took him just five pitches.

He started the second inning with dominant stuff, striking out the first two with filthy breaking pitches before working around a bloop single.

Venezuela broke through in the third, thanks in part to McLean uncorking a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position. Garcia came through this time with a sacrifice fly, but McLean avoided further trouble.

United States pitcher Nolan McLean aims a pitch during the first inning in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic against Venezuela, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Miami. AP

He finally had an easy fourth inning, his first clean frame of the night, but allowed a leadoff homer to Wilyer Abreu in the next inning.

But through the first four innings, his Venezuelan counterpart, Eduardo Rodriguez, was better and continued to stymie the United States lineup, which had just one hit through four innings.