Look: Cincinnati Reds Star Duo Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain Have New Nickname

Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain have high expectations going into the 2025 Season

Feb 14, 2024; Goodyear, AZ, USA; Cincinnati Reds third baseman Elly De La Cruz (44) and Cincinnati Reds shortstop Matt McLain (9) share a high during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer-Imagn Images | Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer-Imagn Images

The Big Red Machine of the 1970s had a great double-play duo of shortstop Dave Concepcion and Baseball Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan.

This season, the 50th Anniversary of the Big Red Machine’s 1975 World Series title, the Reds may have another great middle infield duo, with new nicknames: Batman and Robin.

Star shortstop Elly De La Cruz claims he's Batman. That would make second baseman Matt McLain Robin.

De La Cruz and McLain were called up just three weeks apart in the late Spring of 2023.

Interestingly, McLain was called up first in mid-May. De La Cruz followed in early June. McLain also had the walk-off hit in De La Cruz's debut against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Reds won 9-8 after trailing 8-3.

McLain and De La Cruz have only played one full season together, in 2023. That season, De La Cruz hit .235 with 13 home runs and 44 RBIs. McLain hit .290 with 16 home runs and 50 RBIs in 2023.

McLain missed the entire 2024 season, a season where De La Cruz hit .259 with 25 home runs and 76 RBIs.

It will be interesting to watch both players play together for a full season, assuming both can stay healthy.

If they can be Batman and Robin, then the Reds have a good chance of making a playoff push this season.

Batman & Robin@mattmclain_ & @ellylacocoa18 pic.twitter.com/4ydNs7NNGW

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) March 4, 2025

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