When the 2018 season began for Jonathan India he was playing at the University of Florida and beginning his junior season. After two solid seasons for the Gators, India went out and destroyed pitching both in and out of the SEC. He hit .350/.497/.717 with 21 home runs. That helped him get drafted 5th overall by the Cincinnati Reds in June.
While he was drafted in June, Jonathan India and the Reds didn’t agree to a deal until the final week before the signing deadline. Once signed in early July, the Reds sent their 1st round selection to join their new affiliate in Greeneville. Things didn’t get out to a great start after a long layoff for India. In the first four games he went 0-12, but did walk six times. Over the next two weeks things picked up for him as he went 12-34 (.353) with more walks than strikeouts and six extra-base hits in 10 games. That earned him a promotion to Billings. That stay was short – he played in just three games, before moving up to Dayton. Between his three stops in July he hit .267/.443/.483 with 16 walks and 23 strikeouts.
After joining the Dragons in late July, he took over at the third base position. In the first nine games of August, Jonathan India would reach base in every game. But he only hit .212 in the span, racking up one hit in seven of those games. Things didn’t get better over the next two weeks as he went just 6-37 (.162) through the next 11 games played. India would finish out the season on a high note, going 7-20 (.350) over the final five games with two home runs. After the year he would admit to being a bit worn down after a long season, and it showed in the final five weeks. He hit just .222/.333/.400 with 12 walks and 27 strikeouts in 105 plate appearances.
For all 2018 Season Reviews and Scouting Reports – click here (these will come out during the week throughout the offseason).
Jonathan India Spray Chart
Jonathan India Scouting Report
Hitting | Jonathan India can and does use the entire field. And he can hit the ball hard to all parts of the field, too. The hit tool is average to slightly above-average.
Power | This is where Jonathan India could shine offensively. He’s got above-average power potential. He’s strong and can hit the ball out to all fields, and should be able to tap into it quickly.
Speed | He’s got average to slightly above-average speed.
Defense | At third base he’s an above-average defender.
Arm | He’s got an above-average arm.
Offensively there’s a corner profile for Jonathan India. He’s got power that will play, he’ll draw walks thanks to a good understanding of the strikezone, and he should hit for a solid average. He doesn’t make tons of contact, though strikeouts aren’t a big issue. But that is an area that could keep his hit tool from playing up in the long term.
The defensive side of things is a bit more interesting when it comes to Jonathan India. He has primarily played third base in college and in his short time as a professional. The Cincinnati Reds dabbled with his playing time at shortstop a few times during the year. And he played there a few times at Florida, too. Most scouts believe that he could slide over to second base and hold that position down just fine. No one has any doubts that he can handle the hot corner and do so very well.
The big question seems to be can Jonathan India play shortstop at the next level? As noted, the Reds played him there some during the 2018 season. While the number of people I’ve been able to talk to about this is small due to the sample size issue, those who I have didn’t seem confident that shortstop was going to be a long-term option. Cincinnati may continue to get him some playing time at shortstop every so often moving forward, but it seems like third or second base are more likely future destinations.
Longest Home Run of 2018
412 Feet on July 22nd.
Interesting Stat on Jonathan India
He only went 3-16 on balls hit to right field. That’s a .188 average. All three were singles on line drives. He flew out the other 13 times.