The offseason is a time when gamers will typically work on enjoying different positions. Whether or not that’s to broaden their versatility or as a result of they merely weren’t adequate at their earlier place, or the group merely acquired another person to play their earlier place – there are many causes for it. Cincinnati, who has a number of infield choices however not almost as many outfield choices, is probably exploring the thought of Matt McLain transferring into the outfield. As we speak’s Glendale Desert Canines lineup is out within the Arizona Fall League and McLain is beginning in middle subject. There’s nearly no approach that this isn’t on the request of the Reds, who definitely must log out on McLain enjoying “out of place”.
In fact, for Matt McLain, it’s not solely out of place. Whereas as knowledgeable, McLain has solely performed second base and shortstop since he was drafted within the 1st spherical again in 2021, as a freshman at UCLA he spent a lot of the season in middle subject (50 video games out of the 61 he performed in). Throughout school summer season ball in each 2018 and 2019 he additionally had some restricted motion in proper subject.
With the Bruins he solely performed within the outfield as a freshman (his different 11 video games that season got here at third base). In each 2020 and 2021 all 49 of his video games within the subject have been as a shortstop, and as knowledgeable after the draft that’s the place a majority of his video games have been additionally performed.
Whereas we don’t have knowledge for 2024 on Matt McLain’s dash velocity as a result of he missed all the yr together with his shoulder after which rib accidents, we are able to look again at 2023’s knowledge from when he was a rookie. Elly De La Cruz was simply the quickest participant on that group. There have been a handful of gamers with a spring velocity between 28.8 toes per second and 29.2 toes per second – all thought of to be nicely above-average charges of velocity. Matt McLain fell in the midst of that group at 29.0.
It appears clear that he has the velocity for the place. And whereas he’s restricted a little bit bit on expertise within the outfield, it’s not solely new to him, both. It’s simply been six years since he final performed there commonly.
If he continues to play in middle for the remainder of the Arizona Fall League season, he’s solely going to get a handful of sport motion on the place. McLain is on the taxi squad, which suggests he can solely play in two video games per week. The common season in Arizona ends on November 14th and in the perfect case situation of successful the championship, there would solely be two video games added on (every of the 2 rounds is only a 1-game “sequence”).
Nonetheless, it’s fascinating to see that this transfer is each occurring and that for some motive it’s solely occurring now. Possibly it’s one thing that gained’t matter when spring coaching rolls round. However maybe there’s one thing right here that would probably assist remedy an issue or two with regards to constructing the roster and lineup for 2025.
