Matt

McLain

McLain had three hits four times last year. He had two walks seven times. It should surprise no one that he never did both in the same game while batting .220/.300/.343 in 577 plate appearances. He did, however, reach five times on March 31, at which point no one could have guessed what kind of season he’d end up having. Hopes are high again now after McLain hit a ludicrous .509 with seven homers in 18 games this spring. He had the hardest-hit ball of today’s game, checking in at 110.5 mph on a 387-foot double, and also got up to 107.0 mph on one of his singles.

McLain will sit out Monday’s spring contest against the Brewers as he recovers from a flu bug that has been working its way through Cincinnati’s facility. The 26-year-old second baseman has been the talk of the Cactus League this spring with seven homers and two steals in 17 contests. He should be ready for the club’s Opening Day matchup later this week.

McLain joins Shea Langerliers as the spring leaders with seven homers. He’s also tops with 17 runs scored while primarily working as the Reds’ No. 2 hitter, a role he’s now certain to carry into the regular season.

It’d become obvious based on his spring lineups, but confirmation is always welcome. McLain opened last year batting second, but he spent much of the second half hitting ninth on his way to a .220/.300/.343 campaign. The 26-year-old has been one of the league’s hottest hitters this spring, coming in at .553/.605/1.105 with six homers in 43 plate appearances.

McLain reached on an infield single in the opening frame before crushing a 417 foot solo shot his next time up against Mariners ace George Kirby. The 26-year-old second baseman has put together a phenomenal spring performance, batting a surreal .553 (21-for-38) with six homers and two steals through 13 games, which has caused his fantasy stock to skyrocket from a late-round lottery ticket to a mid-round option at the keystone. There’s plenty of reason to believe in a bounce-back campaign for McLain since adding some extra muscle in the offseason could lead to an uptick in consistent hard contact.

McLain has been one of fantasy’s biggest spring storylines, batting an absurd .607 with five homers and 12 RBI through 10 Cactus League games. He also added his first stolen base of the spring in this one, just for good measure. The case for a bounce-back fantasy campaign is relatively straightforward as McLain spent the offseason adding muscle to his frame and is even further removed from shoulder surgery, which theoretically should result in more consistent hard contact. He’s a prime sleeper candidate at second base, going off the board right around pick 200 overall, on average, in most drafts this spring.

McLain singled in the opening inning and scored on Elly De La Cruz’s gargantuan two-run blast. He then clobbered a two-run shot of his own in the second inning — a 380-foot (104.2 mph EV) blast off of Cole Irvin that made it a 6-1 ballgame. He also singled in the fifth and scored on Nathaniel Lowe’s three-run shot. McLain is doing everything that he can to make fantasy managers buy back in after his disappointing 2025 season — slashing an insane .647/.700/1.412 with four homers and 11 RBI in his first six Cactus League contests.

With the Reds seemingly poised to give him another look in the two hole despite last season’s struggles, things are really looking up for McLain right now. His homers today both left the bat at over 107 mph and were projected at 412 and 421 feet. He’s 8-for-14 with three homers, three walks and just one strikeout in 17 plate appearances this spring. Last spring, he had a 17/2 K/BB in 57 plate appearances.

McLain took Coleman Crow deep in the first inning. He also singled and scored a second run. McLain was awful in 2025 with a .643 OPS, but fantasy managers shouldn’t forget how good he looked in his rookie campaign in 2023, and there’s a chance for some power/speed production this summer.

Francona seems committed to keeping TJ Friedl first and Elly De La Cruz third ahead of new cleanup man Eugenio Suárez. That means the No. 2 hitter pretty much has to be a righty. Marte is one, but he hit just .232/.288/.274 against lefties last season, compared to .275/.305/.516 against righties. There isn’t much reason to think that’s something that will stick going forward, but it might mean Marte hits fifth or sixth going forward. Sal Stewart seems like the best alternative to Marte, but it’ll probably take Francona some time to warm up to that idea. Matt McLain might get his old spot back if he has a nice spring.