McLain's Spring Tear
Matt McLain is raking at a ridiculous.545 — 24 hits in 44 AB — with 6 homers, 13 RBI and a 1.637 OPS in Spring action, fueling serious bounce-back buzz among scouts and fans (x.com). Those counting on him to stick in a big-league lineup are pointing to that clip as concrete proof he’s ready to carry opening-day at-bats (x.com).
McLain enters late Cactus League play owning six spring home runs and 13 RBIs, putting him among the spring leaders for those categories. (ESPN.com) Rotowire lists his spring slash at.553/.605/1.105 over 43 plate appearances with a 5:4 BB:K ratio. (Rotowire.com) On March 2 against the Chicago Cubs he belted two three‑run homers and drove in six runs in Cincinnati’s 17-9 spring win. (MLB.com) Sports Illustrated’s game tracking pegged one of those homers at 109.2 mph off the bat and a 412‑foot carry. (SI.com) Manager Terry Francona said he doesn’t obsess over spring averages but has floated McLain as a candidate to hit second if he sustains his current approach. (MLB.com) Starter Brady Singer called McLain “incredible” after the two‑homer game and said McLain will be a “huge part” of the team if he keeps this up. (MLB.com) Sporting News notes McLain posted a.643 OPS across 147 games in 2025, framing this spring as a potential bounce‑back rather than definitive proof of long‑term change. (SportingNews.com) MLB coverage and analysts caution spring outputs come from small samples and are poor predictors over 162 games, even as McLain’s power surge is already shaping Cincinnati’s roster and lineup conversations. (MLB.com)
