Jonathan India

Jonathan India's Biography

Jonathan Joseph India, born on December 15, 1996, is renowned as an acclaimed American professional baseball infielder. With an array of accomplishments under his belt, he has been showcasing his talents for the Cincinnati Reds of the Major League Baseball (MLB). A host of his remarkable feats were garnered while he was representing Florida Gators, which included being an All-American in 2018 and clinching the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year in the same year. His impressive performance earned him the fifth overall selection in the MLB draft of 2018 by the Reds. After three years, in 2021, India debuted in the major leagues and secured the prestigious National League Rookie of the Year award for his commendable performance.

Throughout his youth, India’s passion was nurtured at the American Heritage School, situated in Delray Beach, Florida. His exceptional skills caught the attention of the Milwaukee Brewers, who picked him in the 26th round during the 2015 Major League Baseball Draft. However, opting to further enhance his game, India declined the offer and decided to attend the University of Florida. His subsequent enrolment in the Florida Gators baseball team allowed him to display his prowess on the pitch.

In his freshman year at college in 2016, Jonathan’s impressive stats played testament to his extraordinary ability. With a robust .303 batting average, a .367 on-base percentage, and a .440 SLG, India garnered four home runs and 40 runs batted in. His spectacular credentials led to his name appearing on the freshman All-American list by Louisville Slugger. He was also acknowledged by the Southeastern Conference (SEC) as part of their First Team All-Freshman Team. Not limiting his development to only collegiate games, India’s dedication towards his craft was reflected in his participation in the collegiate summer baseball for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Here, he managed to score 18-out-of-62 (.290) with seven doubles and 4 RBIs.

However, the journey wasn’t always smooth sailing for India. During his sophomore year in 2017, arm injuries put a dent on his performance at the beginning of the season. However, India valiantly pushed through and managed to contribute to Florida’s 2017 College World Series win with a record of .274/.354/.429, six home runs, and 34 RBIs.

Jonathan bounced back and emerged stronger in his junior year in 2018, hitting .350/.497/.717 with 21 home runs which were sixth in the nation. His mind-blowing performance led him to the accolade of the Southeastern Conference Baseball Player of the Year. This honor is awarded to the top performers in the SEC. Further lauding his efforts, Baseball America also named him a Baseball America All-American.

Such commendable achievements gained Jonathan a position among the top prospects for the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. Subsequently, he was chosen as the fifth overall selection by the Cincinnati Reds. Alongside this selection, India was also presented with a contract by the Reds worth $5.3 million, which he gladly accepted.

Jonathan began his professional baseball career with the Greeneville Reds and subsequently moved to the Billings Mustangs and the Dayton Dragons, performing impressively across all teams. In 2019, he moved to the Daytona Tortugas of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League (FSL), where in June, he participated in the FSL All-Star game. His performance fetched him a promotion to the Chattanooga Lookouts of the Class AA Southern League after batting .256 with 8 home runs and 30 RBIs in 87 games with Daytona. Notably, Baseball America declared him the No. 51 prospect in 2019.

Unfortunately, his journey was interrupted in 2020 due to the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 pandemic leading to an absence from all the games that season. However, similar to the phoenix, Jonathan rose from the ashes.

On March 31, 2021, the Cincinnati Reds announced that Jonathan India would debut in the major leagues on Opening Day. This was a result of his stellar performance in spring training. In response to this significant achievement, his mother conveyed her ecstatic congratulations through an Instagram post. As he stepped onto the field as a new player on the 40-man roster, India stunned viewers with his incredible performance as the Opening Day starting second baseman.

His performance progressed throughout the year: his first career home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks, two homers against the New York Mets, and the slashing of .319/.470/.527 stats with 4 home runs and twelve RBIs over 25 games in July alone, which ended with Jonathan receiving the July NL Rookie of the Month award.

The year 2021 concluded with Jonathan batting .269/.376/.459 with 21 home runs, 69 RBIs, and 98 runs scored. In testament to his first-year achievement, he was awarded the Baseball America Rookie of the Year, Sporting News Rookie of the Year, Jackie Robinson National League Rookie of the Year by BBWAA, and the “Players Choice Awards” National League Outstanding Rookie.

Jonathan began his 2022 season with a considerably increased salary, but was unfortunately sidelined due to a right hamstring injury. Nevertheless, he returned to the field in June and scored his first career grand slam off Zach Pop of the Miami Marlins on July 25. Despite facing a dangerous calf injury, India braved through and finished the regular season with a .249 average, ten home runs, and 41 RBIs.

As of 2024, India and the Reds agreed to a two-year contract, thus evading salary arbitration. Belonging to a family of Colombian descent through his mother, Jonathan was called up for the 2023 World Baseball Classic by the Colombia national baseball team.