Mike's Met Of The Month, July 2026: Nolan McLean

Despite some signs of life for the New York Mets in July, the conclusion to the month feels inevitable. The trade deadline's arrival on Monday means a number of key players from the underwhelming 2026 team will join David Peterson and A.J. Minter with new mailing addresses for the remainder of the regular season. The Mets did perform better in July, going 11-14 with series victories over the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves, but that won't be enough to avoid the team's first selling deadline since 2023.

There were a few good offensive performers in July, with Tyrone Taylor boosting his trade value by hitting .326 with a team-high six homers and 12 RBI in the month of July. Carson Benge (.302/2/9) and Francisco Lindor (.258/6/17) were among the other offensive leaders for July, while rookie Zac Thornton showed out well in his first audition for the 2026 rotation by going 2-0 with a 1.40 ERA in three starts. The choice for Met of the Month honors for July, however, is going to fellow starter Nolan McLean.

Nolan McLean was dominant for the Mets in July.

After some early-season struggles, McLean was locked in for the Mets throughout July. McLean went 2-2 with a 1.78 ERA in 5 July starts, striking out 35 batters in 30.1 innings pitched while walking just nine. Opponents hit just .223 against McLean in July as he showcased some of the dominant form that led him to being picked for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic this spring. With the season heading down the drain, the Mets will hope to see McLean lock in as a potential front-of-the-rotation guy over the final two months of the year.

Previous Mets Of The Month:

April: SP Clay Holmes

May: OF Juan Soto

June: 3B Bo Bichette