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Mets flex Nolan McLean’s Gold Glove award with awesome message
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- Mets flex Nolan McLean’s Gold Glove award with awesome message
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The New York Mets did not hold back in celebrating Nolan McLean 's latest accomplishment. McLean won the 2026 National League Gold Glove Award for pitchers on Sunday, and the Mets marked the occasion with a fitting message on social media.
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"Nolan is Golden! Nolan McLean has won the Gold Glove for National League Pitchers!" the team wrote on X .
It is the first Gold Glove of McLean's young career, and it caps an impressive first full season in the majors for the right-hander. McLean beat out fellow finalists Michael McGreevy of the St. Louis Cardinals and Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves to take home the honor.
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McLean ranked third among NL pitchers in defensive runs saved this season, trailing only McGreevy and Shota Imanaga of the Chicago Cubs. Gold Glove winners are determined by a combination of manager and coach voting, which accounts for 75% of the decision, and a statistical component that makes up the remaining 25%.
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His glove work was only part of the story. McLean made 31 starts in 2026, going 12-10 with a 3.16 ERA, 194 strikeouts and a 1.17 WHIP across 179 2/3 innings. He entered the season as one of the top contenders for NL Rookie of the Year after posting a 5-1 record and a 2.06 ERA in eight starts following his debut in August 2025 , and he remained rookie-eligible heading into this year.
What McLean took the most pride in, though, was his reliability. With injuries hitting the Mets' rotation, he never missed a turn.
"I think the biggest thing is just not missing the start," McLean said in September. He added, "I try to take pride in going out there and competing every single time."
McLean was one of three Mets named Gold Glove finalists, along with catcher Luis Torrens and rookie right fielder Carson Benge. Torrens lost out to Gabriel Moreno of the Arizona Diamondbacks, while Benge fell short to Moreno's teammate Corbin Carroll.
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The award is a bright spot in what was otherwise a frustrating year in Queens. The Mets fired manager Carlos Mendoza midseason after a 34-47 start before Andy Green took over, and they missed the playoffs for the second straight season .
Still, McLean's emergence gives the Mets plenty to build around heading into 2027. If he continues to develop at this rate, more hardware could be in his future.
