When the Reds took Matt McLain out of UCLA with the seventeenth general decide within the 2021 Draft, the hope was he’d be the sort of superior school hitter who may transfer shortly by the system and attain Cincinnati sooner moderately than later. Here we’re, lower than two years later, and the center infielder is about to make his large league debut. Mission achieved.
The undeniable fact that it got here collectively that shortly this season might need stunned some after wanting on the sort of marketing campaign McLain had throughout his first full 12 months of professional ball. The Reds have been aggressive with assigning McLain, sending him to Double-A to begin out 2022. The group isn’t afraid to push school bats, although guys like Nick Senzel and Jonathan India began in High-A earlier than getting bumped as much as Double-A of their first full seasons.
McLain struggled for a lot of the 12 months, ending with a .232/.363/.453 line. The 12 months was not with out positives, together with a .945 OPS at house and a 15.5 % stroll price. The important wrongdoer for the disappointing manufacturing, although, was his general method. McLain struck out in additional than 28 % of his plate appearances and had an general miss price, based on Synergy, of 34 %. He was promoting out for energy and whereas the 17 homers for a shortstop/second baseman have been good, his general hit instrument suffered an excessive amount of. He was gassed when he received to the Arizona Fall League, and he completed his stint there with a .657 OPS.
Even with that, the Reds by no means actually hesitated to ship him as much as Triple-A to begin the 2023 season. The confidence in his instruments and his make-up, that he’d make needed changes, by no means wavered, so as much as Louisville he went. It’s wanting like that they had him pegged accurately, is not it?
We had nudged McLain off our Top 100 after he completed the 2022 season at No. 73, then put him again on the checklist with our first replace on Sunday night time, by accident (however completely) timed with the announcement of his first name to the large leagues. He’s now at No. 95, and if he retains doing what he’s been doing offensively with the Reds, his days as a prospect are numbered.
McLain arrives with a sturdy .348/.474/.710 line. His 1.184 OPS leads all Minor Leaguers with 100 or extra plate appearances. He’s within the high 5 in ISO (.362), wRC+ (193) and wOBA (.499) together with extra commonplace classes like house runs (12) and RBIs (40).
What’s the rationale for the turnaround and, extra importantly, can Reds followers count on extra of this within the large league lineup?
The reply to the second query is sure, albeit with the same old caveat of letting a younger participant get his toes underneath him earlier than anticipating an excessive amount of. Why so bullish after a small pattern in comparison with final 12 months’s full season? It’s how he’s going about doing it.
McLain clearly realized from getting out of his method and swing a 12 months in the past and is a distinct hitter this 12 months. He’s clearly tapping into his right-handed energy, displaying stunning pop given his 5-foot-8 stature. But he’s doing it with out sacrificing the rest, in contrast to what he did a 12 months in the past.
The proof is within the numbers. He’s minimize down on his swing and miss significantly, hanging out simply 19.7 % of the time whereas nonetheless seeing pitches and drawing walks (16.8 % price). That general miss price has shrunk to 26 % up to now this 12 months and he’s making extra contact throughout the board, it doesn’t matter what opposing pitchers are throwing at him.
And he’s doing it with out giving up his capability to influence the baseball. According to Statcast, McLain already had 29 balls hit 100 mph or more durable in simply 38 Triple-A video games. He’s discovered himself as a hitter and so long as he continues to belief his recreation plan, he has the prospect to be a really productive one in Cincy.
He’ll be doing it principally as a shortstop, it appears. To date, Kevin Newman and Jose Barrero have gotten the reps on the premium place and have hit a mixed .230 with 12 extra-base hits. McLain might be an improve offensively and whereas he’s not the defender Barrero is, he’s a constantly regular defender. Plus, he can slide over to second base seamlessly to provide India a day without work at any time when that’s wanted. That could be his greatest long-term house, however that’s a dialog for one more day.
For now, Reds followers ought to get pleasure from McLain’s arrival and enhance to the lineup at quick, his superior method on the plate, his capability to run the bases nicely and the sort of blue collar, grinder vibe he brings to the ballpark each day.
Content Source: www.mlb.com