Matt McLain Hit .167 Against Righties. 2027 Looks Like His Last Real Chance in Cincinnati.

Reds fans have been rooting for Matt McLain to be the 2023 version again for three years now. The numbers say time is running short.

Our Take: The glove and the legs are real, but a second baseman who can't hit righties can't play every day. 2027 has to be the year the bat comes back, or the Reds need a new plan at second.

Per Red Reporter's Wick Terrell, McLain hit just .167/.249/.303 in 370 plate appearances against right-handed pitching in 2026, last among 154 qualifiers in average, OBP and wRC+. Against lefties he was more respectable at .243/.347/.430, and StatMuse's 2026 splits show the same .167 mark against righties over 370 plate appearances.

Over the last two seasons he has a 74 wRC+, last among the 118 big leaguers with 1,000 plate appearances. He earned over $2.3 million in his first year of arbitration and, per the same report, looks headed for another arbitration raise this winter.

There is one small hope. His .216 BABIP against righties was by far the lowest among his peers, even though his soft-contact rate ranked a middling 60th of 154, so some bad luck may be baked in. Terrell still credits his defense and baserunning as good.

What to watch: Whether the Reds tender him, and whether they add a bat that pushes him to a bench role. Spring training at-bats against righties will tell the story.

Sources: Red Reporter, StatMuse