CINCINNATI -- By all accounts in 2025, second baseman Matt McLain did not produce offensively anywhere close to the Reds' -- or his own -- expectations. But to the very end, manager Terry Francona never wavered in his support of McLain and what he did for the club in the big picture.
"He’s had a lot thrown at him this year, like our whole team has. But he never quit," Francona said. "He didn’t pout. He played defense. He’s probably our best baserunner. There’s a reason you stay with guys. He just handled it. And there’s a better player than what his end-of-the-year numbers [were]. Because we were patient, I think we’ll see it.”
Coming back and delivering offense after missing all of 2024 while recovering from left shoulder surgery proved challenging for McLain. Although his 15 home runs and 50 RBIs this season were nearly identical to his '23 rookie campaign (16 HR, 50 RBIs), his other numbers were down.
McLain, 26, batted .220 with a .643 OPS in 147 games. He was often dropped to ninth in the lineup by the second half after opening the season batting second.
“Sometimes with shoulders and a year of development [lost], it’s just not as easy as you want," Francona said.
McLain was arguably Cincinnati's best hitter two seasons ago, batting .290 with an .864 OPS in 89 games after he was called up on May 15, 2023.
“There were a lot of ups and downs, for sure," McLain said. "I think everyone could see that. I just have to get better in every aspect of the game and be ready to go come Spring Training. I just have to make adjustments and get better overall.”
The Reds felt they saw more of what McLain was capable of as a hitter during the postseason. In Game 1 of a 10-5 loss to the Dodgers in the National League Wild Card Series, he went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
McLain wasn't the only Reds player who didn't reach his expected level of offense, and the club often struggled to score. Improving at situational hitting will also be a point of focus moving forward. The front office is expected to explore options to add more offense this winter, but it is counting on players like McLain, Elly De La Cruz and others to step up as well.
"I do believe he’s just now starting to feel and be 100 percent. I think it’s a year-and-a-half-plus surgery to get back to full strength," general manager Brad Meador said. "But he should have a full offseason. He should be able to have a good offseason. He knows he needs to have a good offseason. I think he’ll bounce back in a good way next year.”