A Gold Glove 12 Years in the Making: Nolan McLean Gives the Mets a Building Block

The Mets' 74-88 season didn't produce a playoff berth, but it did produce something the franchise hadn't seen since 2014: a Gold Glove winner. Rookie right-hander Nolan McLean took home the hardware, ending a 12-year drought that stretched back to Juan Lagares in center field. Per Yahoo Sports, Ron Darling in 1989 had been the last Mets pitcher to win one — and McLean is the first rookie pitcher ever to win a Gold Glove.

That's the headline of the week in Queens, and it matters far more than a trophy on a shelf.

The Rookie Season Behind the Award

McLean's 2026 line: 31 starts, 179.2 innings, a 3.16 ERA, 194 strikeouts against 70 walks, and a 1.17 WHIP. His expected ERA sat at 3.63 with an ERA+ of 128, and he delivered a quality start in 64.5 percent of his outings. He was worth 3.0 WAR. His curveball was the swing-and-miss weapon — a 37.8 percent whiff rate and a .163 expected wOBA — while his sinker generated a 27.0 run value across 1,012 pitches.

This wasn't a fluke, either. McLean's eight-start cameo in 2025 produced a 2.06 ERA over 48 innings with 57 strikeouts and a 1.04 WHIP. The track record now spans two seasons of legitimate production.

And the defense is real, not a reputation award. McLean's .284 team BABIP context and his ability to field his position are the kind of small edges that separate a 3.16 ERA from a 3.50.

Why It Matters for 2027

Consider what the Mets' rotation looked like around him. David Peterson posted a 4.79 ERA over 148.1 innings. Kodai Senga's season cratered to a 7.34 ERA in 61.1 innings. Devin Williams, signed to close, finished with a 4.43 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP out of the bullpen.

Against that backdrop, McLean isn't just a nice story — he's the only established, cost-controlled, top-of-rotation arm in the organization. That changes how David Stearns has to approach his fourth winter as POBO. The Mets have been linked heavily to Tarik Skubal, the prize of a thin free-agent class, but if McLean is a genuine No. 2, the Mets can pursue frontline help without treating it as an existential need.

The Other Rookie

McLean wasn't the only young Met getting national recognition. Carson Benge was named a finalist for NL Rookie of the Year after hitting .282/.346/.430 with 20 home runs, 22 stolen bases and 4.25 WAR across 156 games. His expected numbers (.279 xBA, .341 xwOBA) essentially match the surface stats, and his 99th-percentile arm strength plays in right field.

Two rookies — one on each side of the ball — are the most valuable assets the Mets developed in a lost season.

The Caveat

The rest of the roster is unsettled. Juan Soto hit .275/.393/.515 with 27 homers but appeared in only 111 games. Francisco Lindor's average slid to .225 with a .732 OPS in 105 games. The offense as a whole hit .239 with a .703 OPS, and the club was outscored by 32 runs.

McLean's Gold Glove is a genuine bright spot in an otherwise frustrating year — and a reminder that the Mets' path back to contention likely runs through the pitchers and position players they develop, not just the ones they buy.