Clay Holmes, Nolan McLean Join Team USA for WBC

New York Mets Starting Pitchers Clay Holmes and Nolan McLean will be joining Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. WBC action kicks off on March 4, and Team USA will play its first game on March 6 against Brazil at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas.

Holmes transitioned to a starter last season and pitched a career-high 165.2 innings to a 3.53 ERA and 1.30 WHIP in his first season with the Mets.

McLean made his debut last August and pitched 48 innings to a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. The right-hander tossed another 113 innings in the Mets minor leagues this year.

Mets teammates Juan Soto (Team Dominican Republic), Francisco Lindor (Team Puerto Rico), and Mark Vientos (Team Nicaragua) are all expected to play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic as well.

Holmes and McLean join Paul Skenes and Joe Ryan on Team USA’s pitching staff as they look to help the team bring back its last championship in 2017. In the last World Baseball Classic, Team USA lost in the championship to Team Japan. Pete Alonso, Jeff McNeil, and Adam Ottavino were all part of that 2023 roster.

Skenes, Holmes and McLean bring the potential for a higher ceiling rotation than the 2023 staff, which was led by Adam Wainwright, Merrill Kelly, and Lance Lynn. On the position player side, Team USA has Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge, Gunnar Henderson, Will Smith, Corbin Carroll, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Schwarber committed to play. 

General manager Michael Hill said of the players joining Team USA, “I think there’s a huge sense of pride from our players where they want to be a part of this. They want to don the red, white and blue, and hopefully help us finish the job.”

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