This Reds Infielder Could Be the Biggest X-Factor for Cincinnati in 2026

No, it's not Elly De La Cruz.

Matt McLain (9) run drills on the field during the first day of full squad workouts, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026, at the Cincinnati Reds player development complex in Goodyear, Ariz. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

No Red has had a better spring than Matt McLain. In fact, no hitter in the majors has had a better spring either.

After a season in which he hit just .220 with 15 homers and 50 RBIs, McLain looks like a completely different hitter in 2026. If his scorching run of play is any indication, the Reds could be getting the version of McLain that once looked like a cornerstone of their lineup.

That would be a massive boost for an offense that struggled to hit for power and in the clutch a year ago.

When McLain first arrived in Cincinnati in 2023, he quickly established himself as one of the team's most dynamic players. He finished his rookie year hitting .290 with 16 homers and 50 RBIs in just 89 games.

His ability to drive the ball to all fields while hitting for a high average combined with his fundamentally sound defense helped solidify the middle of the Reds' infield.

Last season however, that production at the plate simply wasn't there.

Whether it was holes in his swing or lingering adjustments after the shoulder injury that sidelined him for the entire 2024 season, McLain never quite looked like the same hitter who burst onto the scene earlier in his career.

For this spring, McLain switched to a slightly longer bat (33 1/2 inches instead of 33 1/4 inches) to improve his coverage of the outer half of the plate. So far, that quarter-inch difference has paid off.

Mar 12, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. | © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

He has looked confident, healthy and locked in at the plate, which is a scary thought for opposing pitchers.

They already have to deal with the electrifying presence of Elly De La Cruz in the lineup, but if McLain becomes an even better version of his 2023 form, the Reds have an opportunity to make some noise in the NL Central.

With McLain producing near the top of the order, Cincinnati suddenly has another bat capable of putting pressure on opposing pitchers with his mix of power, speed and ability to put the ball in play consistently.

For a Reds team looking to take the next step, McLain's resurgence could be one of the biggest factors in determining how far the club goes in 2026.

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