Nolan McLean was a two-way player coming out of college. The Oklahoma State star — and now New York Mets pitcher — took the right path.

McLean eventually reached the Majors as a pitcher late in 2025 and became a full-time member of the Mets’ starting rotation in 2026. On Sunday, he became the first Mets player at any position to win a National League Gold Glove in 12 years, per MLB.com.

McLean made plenty of history with the award, including joining a rare club of former Cowboys that have won Gold Gloves. In fact, he’s just the second, joining program legend Robin Ventura.

Cowboys and Gold Gloves

Ventura played in the Majors for 16 years after he was taken No. 10 overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 1988 MLB draft. That was after a stellar career with the Cowboys in which he had a 56-game hitting streak, won the 1988 the Golden Spikes Award and the Dick Howser Trophy and played for the U.S. Olympic team in Seoul, winning a gold medal.

Ventura had a solid MLB career, batting .267 with 294 home runs and 1,182 RBI for four teams including the Mets (1999-2001). He was a two-time All-Star, but he was also a six-time Gold Glove winner at third base in a nine-year period.

McLean was the Mets’ third-round pick in 2023, and he started as a two-way player in the minor leagues before moving to being a pitcher full-time. The athleticism he showed as a two-way player at OSU came in handy as a defender.

Among pitchers in the NL, he was fourth in defensive runs saved with four. He allowed just six steals and — in an era where pitchers only get limited chances to pick off baserunners due to new pick clock and mound disengagement rules — he had three successful pickoffs. He also had 24 assists, which was the second-most among all pitchers.

In addition, he became the first Mets rookie to win a Gold Glove at any position and the second pitcher to win the award, joining Ron Darling, who won it in 1989.

McLean had a quality season, as he went 12-10 with a 3.16 ERA in 31 starts. That put him in the running for the NL Rookie of the Year award, but he didn’t make the cut for the finalists, which were announced late last week.

The good news for Oklahoma State is that Mets outfielder Carson Benge is a finalist for the award, which will be announced next week. The other finalists are Cincinnati first baseman Sal Stewart and St. Louis infielder JJ Wetherholt, who like Benge played at a Big 12 school (West Virginia).