Mack's Mock Pick - 1.18 - SS - Matt McLain

 

Matt McLain

Mack's spin - 

McLain is one of the best overall athlete's in this draft. People like this are drafted early. He was a first rounder out of high school and he will be a first rounder again.

His natural position is short but this might be a man still in seach for a position. He also played outfield in college.

I had him a lot earlier on my board when the mock season started, but he has dropped only because others have come forward to pass him.

Still, a future star in this game.

 

SS      5-11      170     UCLA 

 

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.

  

1-26-21 - BA -

 

8. Matt McLain, SS/OF, UCLA

 

Areas To Improve: Improve zone management, prove shortstop defense, show impact or speed

 

McLain is seemingly in a tier of his own for college shortstops, but that doesn’t mean every team sees him as a lock to play the position at the next level. Proving his defensive ability at shortstop over a full season will help his profile, as will improving his zone management. McLain has a career 24.6% strikeout rate and a 6.7% walk rate so improving on both those marks will be helpful, as would showing more impact ability or usable speed. 

 

1-20-21 - D1 Baseball's top 100 College Prospects -

 

5 Matt McLain SS H UCLA Pac-12 

 

 

1-20-21 - prospect live -

 

#3

Detroit Tigers

Matt McLain

SS/CF, UCLA

 

Detroit and the versatile UCLA star appear to be a match made in heaven. Jon Daniels lives for college bats with proven production, and McLain checks that box. Above average hit, combined with a true plus run tool gives McLain a solid floor. Of late, he's started to tap into more power too. His bat speed, combined with his ability to manipulate the barrel in the zone could suggest a polished hitter that could move quick. With the glove, McLain has the tools to slot in at multiple positions including showing the ability to stick in CF long term. The biggest knock on McLain may be his smaller frame, but that shouldn't scare away, especially considering the punch he can put into a baseball. 

 

1-14-21  -  Baseball America

 

Matt McLain

 

UCLA SS/OF

 

Ht: 5-11 | Wt: 170 | B-T: R-R

Commit/Drafted: Diamondbacks 2018 (1)

Age At Draft: 21.9

 

McLain had a loud spring season before the 2018 draft, pushing himself up draft boards enough to be selected by the D-Backs with the 25th overall selection. He was committed strongly to UCLA however, and Arizona wasn’t able to sign the No. 61 prospect in the 2018 class. McLain struggled as a freshman with the Bruins, hitting just .203/.276/.355 in 2019, but he had a strong summer in the Cape and was off to a torrid start with the bat in 2020, where he hit .397/.422/.621. Out of high school, scouts believed McLain had a chance to be a plus hitter and that still is the case, though his strikeout rate is a bit higher than teams would like from a player who has just average power at best. McLain has played a number of positions, including shortstop, second base, third base and center field, but will be looked at as a shortstop by scouts. He’s an instinctual defender who reads the ball off the bat well and has solid arm strength, giving him every chance to stick at the position at the next level. McLain has turned in plus run times out of the box but isn’t a true burner. While he doesn’t have a gaudy tool to point to, the 5-foot-11, 170-pound shortstop does everything on the field at a high level and his well-rounded skill set should have him selected once again in the first round.

  

 

1-5-21 - PG - College Pre Season All Americans -

 

Shortstop - Matt McLain, UCLA

 

After turning down the draft in the first round, McLain was one of the more hyped prospects to enter college baseball. He took his lumps starting everyday as a freshman and was well on his way to a monster 2020 campaign before the shutdown. He’s a true five-tool shortstop who does a little bit of everything well. McLain will be in his second year at shortstop as he’s continued to improve upon his peripheral tools during his time in Los Angeles. He scorched close to .400 in the shortened season along with three home runs and the power appears to be in store for a breakout during the 2021 season. 

 

12-26-20  -  Baseball Prospect Journal Mock Draft 1.0 -

 

5. Baltimore Orioles: Matt McLain, SS, UCLA

 

McLain turned down $2.6 million from the Diamondbacks to honor his commitment to UCLA out of high school. McLain is strong defensively, possessing the instincts and arm strength to stay at shortstop long-term. He also is athletic and has solid speed. He profiles more as a gap-to-gap hitter who will hit for average in pro ball. 

 

12-25-20 - https://medium.com/minor-league-madhouse/2021-mlb-mock-draft-3

 

Detroit Tigers

 

A year after grabbing Spencer Torkelson first overall, the Tigers dip back in the Pac-12 pool and grab UCLA’s Matt McLain. McLain is no stranger to the first round, riding a helium filled senior season in high school to being selected 25th by the Diamondbacks. McLain has since solidified his standing as a draft prospect with two strong summers and a firm commitment to shortstop at UCLA, and seemed to be on his way to 1–1 candidacy before the COVID shutdown. Still, McLain’s value as a college position player will definitely be higher given the weakness of the class. 

 

 

12-23-20 - detroit rock city -

 

Matt McLain is a 21-year old shortstop who was drafted in the first round of the 2018 draft but chose to honor his commitment to play college ball for the UCLA Bruins.

 

McLain is a 5-foot-10, 175-pound frame, who had his sophomore campaign cut short last spring due to the shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

He is a California native, hailing from Irvine, California, and now playing for the Bruins, as was just mentioned.

 

He is a toolsy defender who has cleaned up his defense since his high school days, proving that he could stick at multiple positions around the infield. At the collegiate level, he has been a shortstop but has worked to develop his defense to be versatile and have the ability to play multiple positions. 

 

 

12-23-20 - MLB - College prospects that wre High School prospects -

 

Matt McLain, SS, UCLA

 

2021: No. 3 | 2018: No. 54

 

Then: "The right-handed hitter has been swinging the bat extremely well, showing the ability to hit for average and power. He's super-athletic with plus run times down the line. One thing he doesn't have is an obvious long-term defensive home."

 

Now: After declining to sign with the D-backs as the 25th overall pick in 2018, McLain should go about 20 spots higher in July. He's much the same player, with the best bat-to-ball skills in the 2021 class, surprising pop for a little guy and plus run times -- and improved arm strength that enhances his chances of sticking at shortstop.

 

 

12-23-20 - MLB - College prospects that wre High School prospects -

 

Matt McLain, SS, UCLA

 

2021: No. 3 | 2018: No. 54

 

Then: "The right-handed hitter has been swinging the bat extremely well, showing the ability to hit for average and power. He's super-athletic with plus run times down the line. One thing he doesn't have is an obvious long-term defensive home."

 

Now: After declining to sign with the D-backs as the 25th overall pick in 2018, McLain should go about 20 spots higher in July. He's much the same player, with the best bat-to-ball skills in the 2021 class, surprising pop for a little guy and plus run times -- and improved arm strength that enhances his chances of sticking at shortstop. 

 

 

12-18-20 - Future Sox Mock Draft -

 

5. Baltimore Orioles: Matt McLain, SS, UCLA

 

McLain went 25th overall to the Diamondbacks in 2018 and honored his commitment to UCLA. This time he heads further east to Baltimore and joins their young nucleus of position players under Mike Elias. He’s a plus runner and defender and has shown an aptitude with wood bats. McLain has developing power and is a versatile defender that should stay at shortstop long-term.

 

 

12-18-20 -

 

college baseball info - top player from each school - 

 

2. UCLA

 

Matt McClain, 2B/SS (2021): After a rough freshman campaign, McClain’s strong performance last season and monster summer with the Santa Barbara Foresters have him back on track.

 

 

12-15-20 - Jim Callis's Top 10  -

 

6. Diamondbacks: Matt McLain, SS, UCLA

 

The D-backs took McLain 26th overall three years ago and could finally get their man by taking him in the first round for a second time. He's a smaller middle infielder with the best bat-to-ball skills in his Draft, just like Nick Madrigal was when he went No. 4 overall in 2018, and McLain has more sneaky power along with a legitimate chance to stick at shortstop.

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