For a rookie pitcher, the hardest part of the major leagues is not always facing the best hitters. Sometimes, it is just surviving all the flights. New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean says the toughest part of his first full season has been the brutal travel schedule. He says the constant flying left him with very little time to rest and recover between games.

“The human body just likes consistency. So, any time you are going to a different coast and a different time zone, more than anything, your body clock gets thrown off,” McLean admitted Tuesday. “And just different ways to recover can throw off your recovery a little bit, or you just feel a little different going out there every time.”

The Mets have had a strange schedule this year. They have played 22 of their first 65 games in Pacific or Mountain time zones. They visited the West Coast four times in the first five road trips. That’s exactly what the rookie found to be quite difficult. Playing 162 games in six months is demanding enough. Even though a starting pitcher throws once in five games, he still has to travel with the team. 

Nolan McLean was picked in the third round of the 2023 draft from Oklahoma State. The 24-year-old made his MLB debut in August last year. He recorded 5.1 scoreless innings, striking out eight batters in his first game. And he had a 2.06 ERA with a 5-1 record. However, his first full season in the majors hasn’t been that fruitful so far, as McLean has a 4.01 ERA in 2026. 

That could be because of the nonstop cross-country flying. It is a massive change from the short distances he might be used to traveling in the minor leagues.

Although he is not trying to make an excuse, the young righty is relieved that the toughest stretch is over. The Mets have all of their remaining games on the East Coast or in the Central Time Zone. 

“I don’t think it can hurt anybody being in the same time zone [for the rest of the season] or maybe one-hour changeup going to the Central,” McLean said. 

And he isn’t the only one struggling with the travels. In fact, another Mets starter, David Peterson, expressed the same feeling. 

“It’s brutal. I think they need to take a look at how they are doing the schedules and fix it,” the LHP added. 

He addressed how they haven’t even visited Atlanta or Philadelphia yet. And almost half the season is over. Also, the players aren’t the only ones admitting the tough stretch. 

Mendoza has a different take on the schedule

The Mets wrapped up their West Coast schedule on June 8. Manager Carlos Mendoza acknowledged that it can be challenging. But he praised the team for handling it well. 

“I feel like our guys do a good job of communicating with our training staff, making sure they recover their sleep, the nutrition, all that,” he added. 

Now, they face a different challenge. The Mets will face most of the tougher teams in the coming few weeks. And given their record (33-41), it’s not going to be very helpful. But Mendoza refused to let his boys lean on any schedule excuse. 

“I’ve been saying that for us to turn this thing around, we have to start winning series consistently. It doesn’t matter the schedule or the teams,” the manager said after they defeated the Braves last weekend. “It’s controlling what we can control and playing our best baseball here moving forward.”

Staying consistent has been the Mets’ biggest issue. They looked great when they won two out of three games against the powerful Braves in New York, including a big 8-1 win. But right after that high point, they went back on the road and lost their next series to the Cincinnati Reds.

That’s exactly what Mendoza wants to change. 

Nolan McLean’s comments explain how taxing the early season was for the Mets. But Mendoza says that the explanation can only go so far. The lesser travel might make things a bit easier, but it won’t automatically give them wins.