Mets face postseason risk leaning on young rookie starters

The New York Mets have turned to promising rookie starters Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong during the stretch run, a development that has helped the club but also created uncertainty about how the rotation would be managed if the team reaches the postseason.

Tong is set to make a second big-league start, and McLean has been a regular contributor, with right-hander Brandon Sproat viewed as a possible addition to the mix. What is clear to the organization and observers alike is that the Mets are leaning heavily on inexperienced starting pitching at a time when playoff rotations typically emphasize veteran innings and postseason seasoning.

The reliance on rookies is notable given the franchise's payroll and recent history of acquiring established pitching. The extent to which McLean, Tong and possibly Sproat would be integrated into a postseason rotation remains an open question; teams frequently alter roles for October baseball, and managers often prefer pitchers with prior playoff experience for high-leverage starts.

There are few modern precedents for teams relying on two rookie starters in the postseason. One of the more prominent examples came in 2015, when the Mets featured Noah Syndergaard and Steven Matz among their rotation en route to the National League pennant. Even in that case, the club paired youthful arms with veteran starters and managed workloads carefully.

For the Mets, the choices carry practical implications. Postseason rosters and in-series pitching plans tend to compress rotations, increase bullpen use and demand matchup flexibility. Using rookies in that environment can complicate planning if the front office and coaching staff must balance a player's developmental needs with the win-now pressures of playoff competition.

Mets officials have praised the performances of their young starters and acknowledged their role in the club's recent gains. The team must now weigh those contributions against the conventional postseason preference for experienced arms, a decision that will shape rotation deployment, bullpen usage and roster construction if the Mets secure a playoff berth.

How the club resolves that balance will become clearer as the regular season moves toward October and as each pitcher accumulates more starts. For now, the emergence of McLean and Tong has provided a boost but also introduced an element of risk for a team hoping to contend in October.