McLain Brothers Look To Make Major League History, Add Names to Impressive List

Matt McLain already has reached the majors with the Reds. He's hoping his brothers, prospects with the White Sox and Dodgers, will join him one day.

Jami Leabow | Mar 17, 2025

Cincinnati Reds shortstop Matt McLain (9) takes the field at the Cincinnati Reds Player Development Complex in Goodyear, Ariz., on Feb. 15, 2025. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Chicago White Sox

Major League Baseball history is dotted with pairs of brothers who have played at the same time.

Think the Aaron brothers. The Boones. The Deans. The Seagers. The Bretts. The Niekros. For starters.

Much more rare is a trio of brothers in the big leagues, but the McLains are looking to join their ranks.

Matt McLain already has arrived in the majors, making his debut with the Cincinnati Reds in 2023 and finishing fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year balloting. The 25-year-old infielder missed the 2024 season with a shoulder injury.

Then there’s Sean, who turns 24 next week. He’s a shortstop in the Los Angeles Dodgers system, selected in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft out of Arizona State.

And the youngest of the group is Nick, 22, another Arizona State product who was selected by the White Sox in the third round of the draft in 2024. An outfielder, he is heading into his first season in the minors.

Nick and Matt caught up with each other last week in Glendale, Ariz., where Nick was called up from the minor league camp to play against the Reds on Friday. Nick was a late-inning substitute in the game and didn’t get any at-bats.

But with the names of the two brothers in the box score for the first time as pros, it was a huge occasion for the family. And a box score worth framing.

Nick also played in the Spring Breakout game for the White Sox on Sunday. He’s No. 28 on MLB Pipeline’s list of Top 30 prospects in the Chicago farm system.

According to MLB.com, the Molinas – Jose, Bengie and Yadier – were the most recent trio of brothers to play in the major leagues in the same season. The last American-born set were the Allens – 2025 Hall of Fame inductee Dick, Ron and Hank – who accomplished the feat in 1972, per the report.

Other prominent sets of three brothers to play in the majors include the DiMiaggios -- Joe, Vince and Dom; the Alous -- Felipe, Matty and Jesus; and the Boyers -- Ken, Clete and Cloyd.

Nick told MLB.com that he would love to add the McLain name to the list.

“That would be really cool,” Nick said. “I would love to share the field, I guess, with any of those guys of that caliber. My brothers would be the coolest to share the field.”

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