Preseason Rookie of the Year projections are supposed to reflect how a season is expected to unfold. That is why a recent front-office poll placing Nolan McLean just outside the top spot stands out. For the New York Mets, McLean is not entering the year as a name to monitor or a long-term idea. He is entering it as someone already factored into how this season is expected to go.
Not every rookie shows up at the same stage of the process. Some are arriving to be evaluated. Others are arriving with something already established. McLean and JJ Wetherholt are being talked about side by side, but they are not starting from the same place.