Nolan McLean's journey from college quarterback to Team USA World Baseball Classic starter reads like a sports fairy tale. The 24-year-old Mets pitching prospect, who barely has a year of full-time pitching experience, will start for the United States in the WBC semifinals after showcasing mid-90s velocity in spring training.

McLean's path to this moment began at Oklahoma State, where he excelled as both a quarterback and power hitter before focusing solely on pitching. His fastball now sits 97-98 mph, nearly 2 mph harder than last season, while his curveball breaks a major league-best 26 inches. The Mets drafted him 91st overall in 2023 after he posted 39 strikeouts in 25⅓ innings as a relief pitcher for Oklahoma State.

What makes McLean's selection for Team USA remarkable isn't just his limited experience—it's his elite arsenal. He owns six pitches grading as average or better on FanGraphs' Stuff+ model, including two different fastballs, a changeup, cutter, curveball, and sweeper. His former teammate Jonah Tong describes him as spinning the baseball better than anyone he knows. McLean will make his WBC debut Wednesday against Italy, potentially setting up a final start for Team USA's first gold medal since 2017.