Mack's spin -
McLain is one of a handfull of premium shortstops in this draft. He probably is the one with the most pop.
He broke his thumb last week, but will be back for the College World Sereis and it isn't suppose to hurt him in the draft.
I have him at 1.9, the 3rd shortstop behind Jordan Lawler and Marcello Mayer.
SS 5-11 170 UCLA
5-12-21 - Yahoo -
With the 2021 MLB Draft two months away, ESPN's first mock has the Mets selecting UCLA second baseman Matt McLain at No. 10 overall.
McLain broke his thumb last week and will miss some time, but ESPN's Kiley McDaniel doesn't feel it will impact his draft stock.
The 21-year-old McLain is hitting .325 with nine homers, eight doubles, two triples, nine stolen bases, 27 RBI, and 38 runs scored in 39 games this season.
5-6-21 - MLB - 5-6 Mock Draft-
15. Brewers: Matt McLain, SS, UCLA
Ranked No. 3 on MLB Pipeline's preseason Draft Top 100, McLain slumped in March but heated back up in April and could go earlier than this to a club convinced that he'll stay at shortstop.
4-29-21 - Baseball Prospect Report mock 3.0 -
12. Seattle Mariners: Matt McLain, SS, UCLA
McLain is currently riding a 14-game hitting streak, showing an improved ability to barrel up pitches and impact the baseball. McLain is strong defensively, possessing the instincts and arm strength to stay at shortstop long-term. He also has the skills for second base and center field, possessing athleticism and solid speed. He profiles more as a gap-to-gap hitter who will hit for average in pro ball.
4-27-21 - Fish Stripes -
First Round (16th Overall) – Matt McLain, SS, UCLA
With the 16th pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, the Miami Marlins select shortstop Matt McLain. The Miami Marlins continue their trend of drafting college players early in the draft with the star out of UCLA.
At 5’10” 175 pounds, McLain isn’t the biggest prospect but his skillset is one of the best in this draft class. McLain is one of the top contact hitters and also has good speed and a strong arm to play centervfield if he’s unable stick at shortstop. McLain’s power numbers are also at an all-time high for himself as he has homered more times this season than in his two previous seasons at UCLA combined.
During the 2021 season, McLain has been really productive for the Bruins. McLain is slashing .326/.416/.580 with 45 hits, seven doubles, eight home runs, 26 RBIs, five stolen bases and a .995 OPS.
One thing that makes McLain such a coveted prospect is his hit tool. MLB Pipeline has it as a 60 in the 20-80 Scouting Scale. The Marlins have could use another bat in their farm system especially since McLain has a better hit tool than most of their current top hitting prospects. If the Marlins take McLain, I’d expect him to play second base or center field in the future.
4-26-21 - mlb.com mock draft -
20) Yankees: Matt McLain, SS, UCLA
Let’s make it two college bats in a row for the Yankees, who took Austin Wells in 2020. McLain started the season incredibly slowly, otherwise he’d be in the conversation much higher than this.
4-22-21 - pipeline podcast mock -
16) Marlins (Mayo): Matt McLain, SS, UCLA -- Once close to the top of the list, McLain started off the season very slowly, with too many strikeouts, but has righted the ship of late with a 10-game hitting streak.
4-19-21 - TTF - Mock 2.0 -
4. Boston Red Sox: Matt McClain, SS, UCLA
He’s Ian Kinsler with more pop. McClain’s collegiate career has been impressive and put UCLA back to prospect gold status. The Red Sox need infield bats who can actually hit and if they snag McClain here, they’ll be getting an advanced hitter with great work ethic and leadership. On top of that, he draws similarities to Boston great Dustin Pedroia.
4-2-21 - Through The Fence -
3. Detroit Tigers: Matt McClain, SS, UCLA
He’s Ian Kinsler with more pop. McClain’s collegiate career has been impressive and put UCLA back to prospect gold status. The Tigers need infield bats who can actually hit and if they snag McClain here, they’ll be getting an advanced hitter with great work ethic and leadership.
3-30-21 - Prospects Worldwide -
18. SS Matt McLain | School: UCLA | B / T: R / R | Ht: 5’11 | Wt: 170lbs | Age: 21.9
McLain is very athletic with a high baseball IQ. At the plate McLain profiles as a top-of-the-order bat with a Plus Hit tool and an extremely tough out at the plate, with good plate discipline that will lead to strong OBP numbers. An extremely flat bat path doesn’t lead to much power potential for McLain, but settling in around 5-10 HR annually is where we should find him. Defensively, a 2B/SS/CF Profile that should settle as an Average Defender at SS, and a chance for Plus at 2B with the skillset and athleticism necessary to show Above-average in CF. But in-game reps down the line will be the biggest tell there. Clean footwork on the infield dirt coming in and on DP turns has strong feeds and accurate throws across the diamond to go with Average Arm strength across the diamond. A strong floor, one of the best in the class, should move through the system very quickly. With tools that can carry McLain to become a consistent starter at the big league level. Similar profile to Nick Madrigal and David Fletcher.
3-21-21 - Joe Doyle @JoeDoyleMiLB
We've talked at length of Matt McLain's need to show more punch in the bat during conference play, and he's certainly done that here.
With this trajectory, to punish a ball 20-feet up the batters eye, the EV here had to be pretty impressive
3-12-21 - top hitters in draft -
#8. Matt McLain, SS/OF
The 21-year-old McClain was actually selected 25th overall by the Diamondbacks out of high school in 2018, but the Orange, CA native instead chose to sign with UCLA. Picking college ball as opposed to cashing in what would’ve been a nice payday seemed to be a mistake at first as McClain hit just .203 during his freshman season with the Bruins, but after making some obvious adjustments at the plate while playing in the Cape Cod League the following year (where he hit .274 in 34 games), the 5-10, 175-pound shortstop kicked off the 2020 season on fire, slashing .397/.422/.621 with 7 XBH in 13 games before the campaign was ended due to the pandemic. Without much power at the moment, evaluators still really like McLain’s hit tool, and according to BA, his instincts on defense give him an above-average glove. His respectable speed and strong arm leave many to believe he’ll stick at shortstop in the pros, and thus far, he’s played all 11 games at short for UCLA in 2021 while hitting .300 with a home run and 3 doubles.
2-24-21 - bleed cubbie blue -
Matt McLain, 3B, UCLA
Some will list him as a shortstop. Someone might draft him as a shortstop. He’ll be a third baseman, and a good one.
2-20-21 - Joe @JoeDoyleMiLB
UCLA SS Matt McLain showing off his dynamic athleticism, stretching a would-be single into a hustle double. He's a really, really good hitter and should be in play at the top of the draft.
2-18-21 - Joe @JoeDoyleMiLB
Finally, we'll take a look at college shortstops.
Pretty fun class. Matt McLain leads the way, but Kamren James has a bat to watch. He'll be very young for the draft. Jalen Battles is another pretty big sleeper. Dylan Neuse is included here, but may be 2B/OF long-term.
2-15-21 - CBS - Top 50 -
11. Matt McLain, SS, UCLA
McLain was the 25th pick in the 2018 draft, but he opted to attend college instead of turning pro. That decision looks like it will pay off, as he's considered one of the safer players in the class. McLain has shown that he can hit for average and run, and that he should be able to stick up the middle (though it's possible he ends up at second or in center rather than at short). He's also flashed enough pop for some scouts to believe he'll develop at least fringe-average power. A team who believes in his ability to stick at short and reach that offensive upside could take him inside the top 10.
2-4-21 - PAC 12 -
Player of the Year: Matt McLain, SS, UCLA
McLain, a third-year sophomore, used the 2020 season to bounce back from a difficult freshman campaign. He moved from the outfield, where he was pressed into duty in 2019, back to his natural shortstop position, and production at the plate followed. He finished the season hitting .397/.422/.621 with increased power, and he was clearly the focal point of the Bruins offense. McLain can do a little bit of everything, including hitting for average and power, playing a solid shortstop and stealing some bases here and there. That will make him a catalyst once again for UCLA in 2021 and a first-round pick come June.
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