New York Mets right-hander Nolan McLean made a successful big-league debut on Saturday afternoon in a win against the Seattle Mariners (box score). McLean held the Mariners without a run (earned or otherwise) over 5 1/3 innings, in the process becoming the first debuting Mets pitcher in more than a dozen years to accomplish the feat.

McLean permitted two hits and issued four walks on 91 pitches. He struck out eight of the 21 batters he faced before giving way to left-handed reliever Gregory Soto. McLean averaged 94.9 mph on his sinker, his most-used fastball variant, and generated 11 whiffs on 38 swings. That included nine total on his two key breaking balls: a sweeper (his primary pitch) and a curve.

The last Mets debuting starter to exit with a clean sheet was Zack Wheeler, now a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, who did it back on June 18, 2013 against the Atlanta Braves. Here's a complete list of Mets pitchers to accomplish the feat during the Wild Card Era:

McLean, 24, was originally a third-round selection back in 2023. Prior to Saturday, he had split the season between Double- and Triple-A, amassing a 2.45 ERA and a 2.54 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 21 combined appearances. 

McLean's pathway to the majors was cleared earlier this week, when the Mets announced they were relegating veteran right-hander Frankie Montas to the big-league bullpen. Montas, a free-agent signing, had struggled since returning from an injury he sustained during the spring. Montas had tallied a 6.38 ERA over the course of his first eight appearances. 

The Mets entered Saturday with a 64-58 record, putting them six games back in the National League East race and a half game up over the Cincinnati Reds for the third and final wild card spot.