The first pitch was a ball. The second, Rodríguez lined toward McLean, who fielded the ball on one hop behind his back, and then had the presence of mind to throw to second for a chance at a double-play.

Rookie Nolan McLean delivered what the Mets needed in his MLB debut, striking out eight and flashing some clutch leather over 5⅓ scoreless innings in a 3-1 win over the Mariners.

Right-handed pitcher Nolan McLean, the Mets' No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, will make his Major League Baseball debut on Saturday at an inopportune time, with his team mired in a horrific slump and All-Star Bryan Woo on the mound for the opposing Seattle Mariners.

There are many culprits. A starry, highly paid lineup main four of Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Pete Alonso and Brandon Nimmo has lacked enough clutch impact. A refortified bullpen has been central to blowing leads in each of the seven games going into Saturday.

The Mets turn to top pitching prospect Nolan McLean on Saturday to try and alleviate some of their starting pitching woes. Here's what to know.

The identity of the most successful New York Mets teams has been about pitching. Rarely have they been an organization fully dependent on large offensive number

Nolan McLean is as advertised. In fact, in his MLB debut, he had a start only matched by one of the most-hyped young pitchers in Mets history. McLean went 5.1 innings on Saturday and struck out eight without allowing a run.