Mets' Nolan McLean predicted to win MLB accolade over Konnor Griffin for 2.06 ERA reason

The New York Mets are entering the 2026 MLB season with a revamped roster and renewed life when it comes to winning the National League East.

While the additions this offseason are a huge reason for the optimism, a full season for Nolan McLean, the rookie righty who dominated last season, is a big reason to be optimistic about the Mets in 2026.

McLean was recently predicted by ESPN's Jeff Passan and 10 other analysts to win the NL Rookie of the Year award over Konnor Griffin of the Pittsburgh Pirates for one reason: McLean has proven himself already.

Nolan McLean predicted to win NL ROY over Griffin

"Because unlike with Wetherholt or Griffin or any of another half-dozen options - the NL Rookie class this year is absolutely loaded - we've seen McLean in the big leagues," Passan writes. "And what he showed was very, very good."

Last season for the Mets, across eight starts in the regular season to close out 2025, McLean posted an impressive 2.06 ERA with 57 strikeouts and a 5-1 record.

If he were to carry that production over a full season, there would be little doubt McLean would be, at absolute worst, an NL Rookie of the Year frontrunner, if not the clear deserving winner.

While he hasn't needed to make multiple starts this spring training, thanks to his World Baseball Classic work, where he looked solid, his lone spring training outing was a scoreless four-inning game with one hit and one walk allowed with six strikeouts.

More: Jacob DeGrom is only 149 strikeouts from 2,000 for his career

Despite a very stacked National League rookie class this year, McLean is the favorite according to ESPN's voting to win the Rookie of the Year award in 2026.

His production in the Majors already is a big reason why there's such optimism, as McLean has already proven to be a good player in the Majors.

Other rookies, like Griffin from the Pittsburgh Pirates, Andrew Painter of the Philadelphia Phillies, and JJ Wetherholt of the St. Louis Cardinals, have yet to make their debuts.

McLean has already made his MLB debut, an advantage on its own. But, with how good he looked last year, McLean is surely in store for a strong rookie season as a full-time starter for the Mets.

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