Nolan McLean Named Team USA Starter For WBC Championship

This piece breaks down Team USA‘s decision to start Nolan McLean in the World Baseball Classic championship game. It also looks at the rookie’s wild ascent from eight big-league starts to a high-stakes moment and how the bullpen plan could shape the finale.

Nolan McLean Set to Start the World Baseball Classic Championship

At just 24, Nolan McLean—a Mets right-hander with eight big-league starts—will take the ball for Team USA in the championship game. Last season, he flashed legit stuff: mid-to-upper 90s on both his two-seam and four-seam fastballs, plus some nasty breaking pitches.

He finished with a 2.06 ERA and a wild 196 ERA+ in 48 late-season innings for the Mets. When manager Mark DeRosa offered him the roster spot, McLean told him, “I’m built for this.”

His pool-play outing against Italy? Not great. Still, his overall performance and steady nerves earned the staff’s trust.

Earlier, the plan was to add Twins starter Joe Ryan to back up Clayton Kershaw and maybe piggyback with McLean. But that changed when reliever Jeff Hoffman joined the roster instead, which really says a lot about the staff’s confidence in the rookie handling this moment.

What McLean’s Start Signals About Team USA’s Strategy

Choosing McLean for the championship is a gutsy, youth-first move by the USA pitching staff. Even as a rookie, his late-season form and electric stuff gave DeRosa and the coaches real belief he could handle the pressure on the world stage.

Team USA’s bullpen has been a force in the semifinals, anchored by David Bednar, Garrett Whitlock, and Mason Miller. All three pitched in consecutive high-leverage spots and could be called on for the third time in five days if needed in the final.

The off-day before the championship is a big deal. It gives the bullpen a chance to recover—probably more than the opposing team will get.

The staff’s plan stays flexible, keeping depth for a possible shutout or a late-inning combo that protects McLean early on. They’re not locking themselves in, and that’s probably smart.

• Bednar, Whitlock, and Mason Miller all have real high-leverage experience and can handle multiple innings late.
• The off-day before the final gives Team USA’s bullpen a solid rest advantage, so they can be more aggressive if the game gets tight.
• USA’s coaches will set up a relief plan that pairs McLean’s start with a ready bullpen, aiming to minimize risk and stay flexible with matchups.

The Final Step: Execution and Outlook

DeRosa says the plan is simple: McLean gets the start in the championship game. The staff’s working out the relief script, trying to balance the rookie’s nerves with the bullpen’s depth.

Team USA gets an extra day of rest. Their likely opponent probably won’t, which could matter if McLean handles the early innings and things get tense late.

McLean brings serious upside, and the bullpen’s built for late-inning pressure. That gives Team USA a real shot at another World Baseball Classic title, at least on paper.

This championship, shaped by a gutsy call to trust a young arm, will test McLean’s poise and the bullpen’s stamina. If the Mets prospect sticks to his plan, the United States can rely on its depth and the development that brought him here.

Maybe it all leads to a signature World Baseball Classic moment. There’s something to be said for a staff willing to gamble on potential—and a pitcher who truly believes he was “built for this.”

 
Here is the source article for this story: McLean raring to go in Classic title tilt: ‘I’m built for this’