UCLA Baseball Recruiting Class Spotlight: OF Nick McLain

The highly-ranked outfielder looks to live up to expectations created by his brother at UCLA

UCLA baseball has 14 new players coming to Westwood this fall to replace the 10 who got picked in the 2021 MLB Draft and even more who graduated and went elsewhere. From top recruits to under-the-radar prospects and high-profiles transfers, All Bruins is breaking all of them down to see what they could offer UCLA in 2022 and beyond.

Here’s an introduction to incoming freshman Nick McLain.

With one McLain leaving for the MLB, another will take his place in Westwood.

There was a possibility this summer that both Matt McLain and his brother Nick could have both been selected in the 2021 MLB Draft. McLain was drafted No. 17 overall by the Cincinnati Reds, the second time he has been picked in the first round. His brother, Nick McLain, was projected to be selected in the second to fourth round range, but he dropped out of the draft pool and chose to honor his commitment to UCLA instead.

Playing his high school career at Beckman High School (CA) in Irvine, McLain played center field and hit from both sides of the plate, giving the Bruins versatility at the plate that is particularly rare in college baseball.

According to Perfect Game, McLain was rated as the No. 3 outfielder and No. 23 player in California. He was also the No. 88 player overall on the BA 500 list, a top 500 prospects list selected by Baseball America.

Though he has a relatively small frame at 5-foot-10 – similar to his brother who is listed at 5-foot-11 – McLain’s swing and ball-to-bat ability have scouts excited for his prospects.

On his power, Prep Baseball Report had this to say:

“Present power is real with an average exit velocity of 87.72 mph and a peak of 97.79 mph on Trackman. Shows the ability to hit the ball hard the opposite way. It’s easy, natural power at the plate generated from his above average bat speed and physical strength.”

At first glance, McLain should still hit from both sides of the plate at the college level, but his future could be as a left-handed power hitter. Outfielder Cedric Mullins of the Baltimore Orioles recently made the switch to only hitting from the left side and it made him a 2021 MLB All-Star.

This summer, McLain played in the West Coast League with the Bellingham Bells. He was teammates with fellow UCLA incoming freshmen Cody Schrier and Malakhi Knight.

He had clear success at this level demonstrating his hitting ability. Combining his non-league, regular season and postseason performances, McLain hit .281 with two home runs, 10 RBIs, six stolen bases and a near-even walk-to-strikeout ratio of 16 to 21.

Prediction

McLain brings UCLA a very similar hitting profile to his brother and one that could slot him into the starting lineup right away. There are many options in the outfield for the Bruins this spring, but McLain took the summer to push his way into a starting role. Coach John Savage has Kenny Oyama, Malakhi Knight, JonJon Vaughns, Michael Curialle and more to choose from for his starting outfielders, but McLain brings a different set of skills to the table. His switch-hitting ability makes it easy to put him in a lineup both against right and left handed pitchers. Though unlikely to play center field right off the bat, McLain can slot in at left or right field as well, having the range to play all three outfield positions. The starting lineup could be in grasp once again for the McLain family.

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