The Reds have 2 players contending for NL Rookie of the Year and others on the way

The Cincinnati Reds rookie class has looked rather impressive so far. Levi Stoudt, Brandon Williamson, Matt McLain, Casey Legumina and Eduardo Salazar have all made their major league debuts in 2023.

But the team's top performing rookie has been the corner infielder Spencer Steer, who is making his case the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

Though he made his debut in 2022, Steer is still considered a rookie. But he isn't the only Reds player in the hunt to win the NL Rookie of the Year. Reds rookie Matt McLain has exploded on the scene.

The Reds have 2 players contending for NL Rookie of the Year and another on the way.

Matt McLain has already electrified the Cincinnati Reds fanbase and looks to have secured a spot in the infield for years to come. McLain is a lock to play upwards of 100 games this season, which would give him a great chance to add to his counting statistics as he continues to improve throughout the year.

Not only could McLain put himself in the race for the NL Rookie of the Year, but with the lack of talent in the National League at shortstop, he has an outside shot at being an All-Star in his first season. McLain is the Reds nominee on this year's All-Star ballot.

Miami Marlins infielder Jon Berti currently leads NL shortstops with a .272 batting average. While McLain's lack of at-bats keeps him off the leaderboard, the Reds shortstop is hitting nearly 100 points higher.

McLain also ranks seventh among NL shortstops in bWAR (0.8), having played in only 14 games in 2023. McLain's value is incredibly impressive when you consider that the players above him on that list him have played more than 30 games.

Who knows how many Rookie of the Year candidates the Cincinnati Reds could have after the debuts of Andrew Abbott, Elly De La Cruz, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand. This could go down as a historic rookie class for the Reds organization.