Jonathan India

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Jonathan Joseph India

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Biographical Information[edit]

Third baseman Jonathan India was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds with the 5th overall pick in the 2018 amateur draft, out of the University of Florida. As a junior in 2018, he was the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year when he hit .365 with 16 homers and 40 RBIs. His selection added to a potential glut of third basemen for the Reds, as they had recently signed major league starter Eugenio Suarez to a long-term contract, and also had Nick Senzel, the #2 selection in the 2016 draft, also waiting in the wings. He was part of the Florida team that reached the finals of the 2018 College World Series. He waited until the end of the tournament to sign with the Reds, agreeing to a signing bonus estimated at $5.3 million on July 1st.

India made his professional debut in 2018 with the Billings Mustangs and also player for two other teams that year, the Greeneville Reds and Dayton Dragons. In all, he played 44 games and put up a batting line of .240/.380/.432. In 2019, he started the season in the Florida State League with the Daytona Tortugas, where he hit .256 in 87 games, then was promoted to the Chattanooga Lookouts of the AA Southern League, where he played 34 games and hit .270. Combined, his batting line was .259/.365/.402 in 121 games, with 18 doubles, 5 triples and 11 homers, scoring 74 runs and driving in 44. He then played in the Arizona Fall League following the season, but hit just .133 against stiff competition. He played third base and shortstop during the two seasons, with a handful of games at second base as well. He would normally have made his major league debut during the 2020 season, but that was the year when the Coronavirus pandemic cut the major league season to 60 games and wiped out the minor league season. As a result, he spent the year at the Reds' alternate training site.

It was not clear where he fit in the Reds' depth chart when spring training opened in 2021, as their infield plans were in flux. However, he managed to earn a starting job with a great spring in which he hit .313 and slugged .604 in 22 games, whereas veteran Dee Strange-Gordon, who had been penciled in to start at shortstop, failed to impress and was released. He was thus placed on the opening day roster as the starting second baseman, with Mike Moustakas moving back to his natural position, third base, and Suarez playing shortstop (in the meantime, Senzel had been moved to centerfield). It may not have been the most air-tight infield defense around, but it was a group likely to put a lot of runs on the scoreboard. In his major league debut on April 1st, he went 2 for 4 with a double as the starting second sacker in a loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. He was the National League Rookie of the Month in July when he batted .319 with 20 runs, 7 doubles, 4 homers and 12 RBIs in 25 games. He also recorded his first career multi-homer game on July 30th against the New York Mets.

Notable Achievements[edit]


NL Rookie of the Year
2020 2021 2022
Devin Williams Jonathan India Michael Harris

Further Reading[edit]

  • Anthony Castrovince: "Arozarena, India claim top rookie hardware", mlb.com, November 15, 2021. [1]
  • Mark Sheldon: "Reds select U. of Florida 3B India at No. 5: Right-handers Richardson, Gray also drafted on Day 1", mlb.com June 5, 2018. [2]

Related Sites[edit]

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