Royals' Key Trade Addition, Leadoff Hitter Projected For Disappointing 2025 Season
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The Kansas City Royals have a lot of poker chips invested in their new leadoff hitter.
In November, the Royals traded a quality starting pitcher in Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds to get their hands on Jonathan India. The 2021 National League Rookie of the Year is slated to be the team's new leadoff hitter in front of superstar Bobby Witt Jr.
India is an X-factor for the Royals in several ways. He might play left field, a departure from his usual spot at second base. He's being tasked with hitting in front of a top-five player in the sport. And he's also moving from the sport's friendliest home run-hitting park to one of the toughest.
On Thursday, India was hit with a remarkably pessimistic season projection.
ESPN's Eric Karabell attempted to project season results for a number of noteworthy American League players, and he forecasted what would almost certainly be the worst season of India's career in the aftermath of the trade.
"2B Jonathan India hits .220 with single-digit HR and SB," Karabell wrote ominously.
There's certainly more to a season than home run and stolen base totals, but it's hard to envision anyone being able to claim a successful season for India under Karabell's parameters. The 27-year-old has never hit for an average below .244, and his career-low of 10 home runs came over 103 games in 2022.
If India get on base at or near his career average of .352, the Royals should be a better offense than they were last season by default. Their leadoff hitters had an average OBP under .290, the worst mark in all of Major League Baseball.
Soon, the projections will stop and the games will start counting for real. India may have at least one doubter, but he'll also have every opportunity to prove Karabell and anyone else out there dead wrong.
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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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