Inside The Reds

Cincinnati Reds' Young Star Trio Flashes Potential in Win Over San Francisco Giants

With Matt McLain and Christian Encarnacion-Strand healthy, combined with Elly De La Cruz, this Reds team has a dangerous young nucleus.
Alex Frank|
Mar 29, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) throws to first to get San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (not pictured) out in the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Mar 29, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Matt McLain (9) throws to first to get San Francisco Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee (not pictured) out in the sixth inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

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Cincinnati Reds

CINCINNATI -- In a span of two months during the 2023 Season, May-July, the Reds called up Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. Those three players, at the time, represented the future of the Reds franchise.

Their performances Saturday show that the future is now at Great American Ballpark.

After missing all of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury that required surgery, second baseman Matt McLain shook off an 0-for-5 performance on Opening Day with his first home run of the 2025 season in the third inning Saturday. Not to mention, it came off Giants right-handed starter, and future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander.

It was the first of two hits for McLain on Saturday, both off of Verlander. His second was a two-out double in the bottom of the fifth inning, which set up shortstop Elly De La Cruz to deliver his first big hit of 2025.

With two strikes, De La Cruz singled through the right side to drive in McLain and tie the game 2-2. The two-out rally by the Reds No. 2 and No. 3 hitters not only tied the game, but it chased Verlander after just five innings.

It wasn't just at the plate , though. McLain and De La Cruz were a part of three double plays the Reds turned on Saturday in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

It was the third of the big three call-ups from 2023 that delivered the biggest hit of the day for the Reds. First baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who also missed most of the 2024 season, went opposite field for a home run in the sixth inning that gave the Reds a 3-2 lead. It proved to be the game-winning home run Saturday, after the Reds bullpen pitched three shutout innings to preserve the win.

McLain, De La Cruz and Encarnacion-Strand combined to go 4-for-11 on Saturday with all three RBIs for the Reds. These three are the future of the franchise, and they won the game for the Reds on Saturday.

In addition to McLain and De La Cruz flashing the leather on Saturday, Encarnacion-Strand ended the top of the eighth inning with a diving back-handed stop that he fed Ashcraft, covering first, for the out.

A big reason why expectations are high for the Reds is because these three players are healthy and producing. If the Reds have that for 162 games this season, look out.

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Alex Frank
ALEX FRANK

Alex Frank brings his passion for Reds Baseball and sports media to Reds On SI. With a commitment to original, detailed and accurate reporting and inside, Alex keeps Reds fans informed with the latest breaking news and other information fans need to know about their favorite team. Alex has years of experience, covering the NFL, NCAA and more for a plethora of outlets including SB Nation, CLNS Media, Associated Press, The Wright Way Sports Network, Chatterbox Sports and The Front Office News. While a student at the University of Cincinnati, Alex served as Bearcast Media's Sports Director for three years while hosting weekly talk shows and podcasts and broadcasting Bearcats Football and Men's Basketball games.

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