Nolan McLean’s rookie season is already carrying more than one layer of intrigue for the Mets.
The club managed to preserve his rookie eligibility for 2026, which keeps him in the NL Rookie of the Year race next year. That part matters beyond the trophy itself, because the Prospect Promotion Incentive ties major rookie honors to a possible extra draft pick for teams.
If a player wins Rookie of the Year or finishes in the top three in MVP or Cy Young voting before arbitration, his team can cash in. The Astros and Braves already benefited from that setup after Hunter Brown and Drake Baldwin’s 2025 seasons.
For McLean, though, the Rookie of the Year conversation is only part of the picture. He’s also in the mix for another award that fits his game just as well, maybe better: the Gold Glove.
A Cy Young push feels like a long shot, but the defense is where McLean has put himself squarely in the conversation. Among NL starting pitchers, nobody has more Defensive Runs Saved than McLean.
He’s tied for the league lead with 5 DRS, and he’s also been busy handling his position, with 24 fielding assists, the most by any pitcher. The one blemish is the 3 errors, which also lead the league.
If McLean doesn’t end up with the hardware, Michael McGreevy looks like the most likely alternative for the NL pitchers’ Gold Glove. He matches McLean with 5 DRS, but he has 0 errors and a league-high 4 double plays turned. McLean may have the stronger overall profile on the mound, but McGreevy’s glove work is a little cleaner.
Last year’s winner, Logan Webb, took home the Gold Glove with a NL-best 7 DRS. David Peterson was a finalist at 6 DRS.
Peterson posted a perfect fielding percentage in 2025, which stood in sharp contrast to 2024, when he led the league with 5 errors. This season, he’s tied with McLean for the most errors at 3.
Webb still made an error in 2025, but his second straight year leading the league in assists, plus the extra DRS advantage, probably did enough to sway voters and keep the Mets’ drought going. The franchise still hasn’t had a Gold Glove winner since Juan Lagares in 2014.
That’s why McLean’s best chance to break through may end up being second place. Still, the more realistic path to ending that drought might belong to Luis Torrens.
The catcher has the defensive numbers, and the biggest issue is simply that he doesn’t play enough. He’s viewed as the backup, but that shouldn’t automatically work against him.
If anything, leading the league in DRS with fewer starts could make his case even stronger.
In Other News...
Bo Bichette Is Creating A Mets Problem Fans Can Already See
Bo Bichettes arrival gave the Mets a much-needed boost, but it also came with a layer of roster planning that is already hard to ignore. His deal runs three years with player options after the first two, which means the club does not have anything close to a locked-in answer about whether he will still be around in 2027, even as the immediate fit looks clear.
The bigger wrinkle is what the signing cost and what a better Mets team could cost next. New York already gave up draft picks because of the qualifying offer rules, and if the club keeps climbing and pushes deeper into luxury tax territory, more penalties could follow. Bichettes recent uptick only adds to the uncertainty, since a strong finish would make it more realistic that he tests the market again before the Mets get the long-term stability they were buying. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Prospect Is Already Making His Draft Snub Look Ridiculous
Across the Mets Single-A and High-A ranks, the season brought its share of uneven results, but Aiden Robbins gave the organization something far more encouraging to track. The outfielder, taken in the third round at No. 92 overall, jumped into pro ball quickly and handled 26 games across A-Ball and High-A with a steady bat and enough defensive versatility to give the Mets another look at his long-term value.
What makes Robbins stand out is how much he already looks like a miss by the clubs that let him slide. MLB Pipeline had him ranked as the 29th best amateur prospect, and his early work has only reinforced the idea that New York may have gotten a little extra value on draft day. The larger question now is whether that strong first impression keeps growing as he settles in against tougher pitching and a bigger stage. [Read more 🡒]
Marcus Semien Just Put A Real Mets Job Battle In Play
Marcus Semiens first stretch in Queens has already created a much different conversation than the Mets expected when they brought him in, and it goes beyond a few quiet weeks at the plate. With two years left on his contract, he still carries plenty of weight in the organization, and president of baseball operations David Stearns has made clear that Semiens effort and defense remain part of the clubs belief in him. Even so, the Mets also need more offense from a player they envisioned as a stabilizing presence, which is why next season is shaping up to be about more than just a rebound.
Spring training could turn second base into a real competition, with Jefferson Rojas, Mitch Voit and milien Pitre all in the mix to push for time. Semiens experience and defensive reliability still give him a strong case to hold the job, but the Mets have left themselves enough room to challenge the spot if the bat does not come around. For a team trying to sort out its future infield, that makes this one of the more interesting position battles to watch. [Read more 🡒]