Reds just found the unexpected spark that could ignite their whole lineup

One of the most crucial questions the Cincinnati Reds need an answer to is which version of Matt McLain is going to show up in 2026. Would it be the 2023 version that looked like a phenom and finished fifth in the NL Rookie of the Year voting despite playing in just 89 games? Or would it be the 2025 version that looked lost at the plate and posted a .643 OPS?

McLain missed the entire 2024 campaign after undergoing left shoulder surgery to repair his labrum and cartilage damage. There was always some hope that the dramatic offensive downturn was a result of him still regaining strength and shaking off the rust, but it was hard to know for sure.

Spring training presented an opportunity to get a glimpse into what the answer could be. You never want to react too strongly to small sample numbers, and that goes double for spring training. Players are tweaking things and experimenting in ways that they wouldn't during the regular season, not to mention the watered-down competition from minor league arms that are trying to make their mark.

But when a player is literally the best hitter in the entire league, for any stretch of time and in any environment, it's hard not to stand up and take note. That's exactly where we are with McLain in spring training.

McLain is leading the MLB in pretty much every single offensive statistical category. To that end, it's hard not to take notice and begin to believe that there's some meaning behind the numbers, even while acknowledging the noise that can occur in a small sample.

Matt McLain's sizzling spring performance could be the catalyst for the Reds' lineup

In 2025, Cincinnati's lineup was average to below-average in nearly every crucial offensive metric. The club already addressed its greatest deficiency, power production, by signing Eugenio Suarez over the winter.

There's also an expectation that many young players, ranging from stars like Elly De La Cruz to promising youngsters like Noelvi Marte and Sal Stewart, will take steps forward, which will vault the lineup forward.

The one thing that's been missing from the equation is a versatile and productive table setter in the second spot in the lineup. McLain now looks poised to fill that role. If he can, it will only amplify the production that De La Cruz and Suarez provide in the heart of the order.

It seems that many have underestimated the 26-year-old, and that might put an even greater chip on his shoulder (just not the surgically repaired one, please) to prove the doubters wrong.

It's important to be realistic, but in this case, cautious optimism is warranted, and if this hot streak spills over into the regular season, it could go a long way towards bringing the Reds towards the high end of expectations for 2026.