Royals Applauded For Jonathan India Experiment After Strong Early Returns
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The Kansas City Royals took a swing with the Jonathan India trade, which was a risk on multiple fronts.
When the Royals acquired India from the Cincinnati Reds in November, they risked their strong starting rotation by sending Brady Singer in return. And they also risked their defense, because India wouldn't be playing his usual position at second base.
India has played nine games at third base, where he has been worth -2 outs above average, and eight in left field, where he has been worth -1 OAA. Both are brand-new positions to him at the big-league level.
The Royals' logic was that India was the best player they could find to be their new leadoff hitter in front of Bobby Witt Jr., and that even if he wasn't known as a good second base defender, he was athletic enough to pull if off.
It's still early in the season, and India is now dealing with a day-to-day quadriceps injury, but Craig Brown of Into the Fountains is willing to call the experiment an early success based on how India has looked defensively at both positions.
"I was a bit skeptical about Jonathan India moving off his normal position of second base," Brown wrote. "The reports from spring training weren’t especially glowing, and the eye test once the regular season got underway said he wasn’t entirely comfortable at either third base or left field.
"We’re only a handful of games into the season, and I already have to reevaluate that line of thinking. On Wednesday, India started in left field and made a fine running grab on a shallow pop that was down the line. On Thursday at third base with the infield playing in, India flashed his hot corner reflexes going to his left to field a ground ball and make a solid throw home to cut down the potential go-ahead run."
No one expects India to be an above-average defender, especially not this soon. The hope, rather, is that he can give them enough with the glove to make him a valuable leadoff man, which he certainly has been so far with a .333 on-base percentage.
If the quad issue doesn't hold him out more than a couple days, expect India to continue pulling double-duty on defense while sparking Kansas City's offense early and often.
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Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "Kansas City Royals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org
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