What jersey number might Matt McLain wear for his Reds debut?

By now almost all of Reds Country knows that one of Cincinnati's top prospects will be making his major league debut on Monday night.

Matt McLain, the Cincinnati Reds first-round selection in the 2021 MLB Draft, is scheduled to be called up later today. In all likelihood, McLain will be in the starting lineup and playing shortstop tonight against the Colorado Rockies.

But what jersey number will McLain wear for his Reds debut? With so much talk about uniforms over the weekend, let's see what number might make sense for the newest member of the Reds roster.

What jersey number might Matt McLain wear for his Reds debut?

When it comes to jersey numbers, there are a few that are off limits when it comes to the Cincinnati Reds. The team has retired a total of 10 jerseys, and of course, No. 42 is retired league-wide in honor of Jackie Robinson. So, those numbers donned by the likes of Pete Rose, Sparky Anderson, Barry Larkin, and Johnny Bench are off limits.

Matt McLain wore No. 1 during his college career at UCLA. That number was worn by the late Fred Hutchinson. The Reds skipper from 1959-1964, Hutchinson's number was retired by the Reds to honor his courage after battling cancer during his final year as a manager.

McLain has worn No. 15 during his time with the Louisville Bats this season. But that number is currerntly worn by another former first-round pick. Nick Senzel, who's seen a bounce-back season after returning to third base, wears jersey No. 15 for the Cincinnati Reds.

Matt McLain had a lot of success at Double-A Chattanooga while wearing No. 9 last season. That jersey number just happens to be available after the Reds designated Mike Moustakas for assignment during the offseason.

Seeing as how McLain's worn No. 9 in the past, that feels like as good a choice as any. Former Cincinnati Reds players like Joe Oliver (1990-1994), Juan Castro (2006-2007), and Jose Peraza (2016-2019) have all worn No. 9 in the past.

Another jersey number McLain might consider could be No. 23 which he wore during this professional debut at High-A Dayton. Three-time All-Star Lee May wore that jersey from 1965-1971, as did Hal Morris (1990-1997), Jason LaRue (2000-2006), and Adam Duvall (20015-2018).