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Matt McLain is among the candidates for shortstop in the all-star voting. (Photo courtesy McLain family).
Shortstop Matt McLain, who has made an immediate impact in the Major Leagues after being called up to play for the Cincinnati Reds, is in the running in voting for National League all-star team with two days left before the end of phase one voting.
“Matt McLain is on the 2023 MLB All-Star ballot,” his father Michael told OC Sports Zone Tuesday. “He’s currently in fourth place for NL shortstops, and well-deserved.”
Michael McLain is asking local fans to vote for McLain, who as of Tuesday had almost 395,000 votes. Orlando Arcia of the Atlanta Braves is the top vote-getter at shortstop. Michael McLain added that fans can vote up to five times a day.
McLain, the former Beckman High School and UCLA star, has led a dramatic turn-around by the Reds, who went into Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies atop the NL Central Standings and on a nine-game winning streak with a 38-35 record.
Reds second baseman Jonathan India is 10th among NL second basemen with more than 156,000 votes.
“It has been amazing for Wendi and I to watch from home and to travel to Cincinnati, Denver and Houston so far,” Michael McLain said. “The Reds and all the families have been very welcoming to us.
“Matthew is pumped to be part of this young, athletic, competitive team and to be learning from the experienced players that lead the team.”
McLain, who has played shortstop in most games, went into Tuesday’s game vs. the Colorado Rockies with a .317 batting average, 26 runs scored, 44 hits, eight doubles, four triples, three home runs and 15 RBI and an on-base percentage of .371 batting out of the No. 2 spot.
On Monday, May 15, the 5-9, 180-pound McLain, the 17th overall pick in the first round in the 2021 Major League draft, was promoted from the Reds Triple A team in Louisville where he was batting .346 with 12 home runs and 10 stolen bases.
McLain became the second player from Beckman High School in the Major Leagues. James Kaprielian is pitching with the Oakland A’s. Both played for current Patriots coach Kevin Lavalle.
The Cincinnati Reds on Twitter said that McLain is just over 100,000 votes away from second place in the balloting for shortstop. The top two vote-getters in their position advance to phase two, the Reds said.
The Reds and and McLain’s friends at Beckman baseball have asked fans to vote for McLain. The deadline for phase one is Thursday, June 22.
Beckman baseball’s tweet: “Vote for Matt.”
The link for the all-star balloting:
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—Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com
