MIAMI — Mets pitcher Nolan McLean, a man way ahead of his 24 years, was made for this moment. He’s technically still a big league rookie thanks to some Mets math wizardry by their professional counters. Yet, he’s definitely no kid.
No one who knows him from his Oklahoma State days, the Mets, or even the veteran stars of this stacked Team USA, believes the assignment will weigh on McLean when he takes the mound to start in the World Baseball Classic championship game Tuesday night.
This isn’t just a crazy curveball Team USA is throwing by employing its first rookie WBC starter again. (And by the way, McLean topped MLB with a spin rate of 3,248 rpm on his patented curveball over his 48 innings and 44 days.)
For those keeping score, by one day and two innings he’s still technically a rookie. But in no other way does he feel like one. He’s a serious young man with a routine and a plan.
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