Royals' New Bobby Witt Jr. Sidekick Called 'Best Offseason Acquisition' In AL Central
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The Kansas City Royals built on their momentum from 2024 with a solid, if not game-changing offseason.
No, the Royals didn't break the bank for any superstar hitters, and there's still plenty to dislike about the corner outfield positions. But they found players who should make the team better, and their new leadoff hitter is a perfect example.
In November, the Royals nabbed second baseman Jonathan India in a trade that sent starting pitcher Brady Singer to the Cincinnati Reds. While it's uncertain whether India will play more second base, designated hitter, or even left field, it appears he's locked in as the team's new leadoff hitter.
Finding someone to get on base in front of Bobby Witt Jr. was the thorn in the Royals' side last season. If India can be that reliable leadoff man, he'll be the steal of the winter.
On Thursday, MLB.com's Will Leitch predicted the biggest "difference-making acquisition" in each division, and for the AL Central, he picked India, thanks to his fit for the Royals' lineup.
"(The Royals) very much needed a leadoff man, and they may have found the perfect one in India," Leitch wrote. "True, he hasn’t repeated the numbers he posted in his NL Rookie of the Year season in 2021, and his addition will lead to a defensive shakeup in Kansas City."
"But most importantly to the Royals, India can get on base from the top of the lineup, a serious problem for the team for a while now and certainly last year, when it finished dead last in the Majors in OBP out of the leadoff spot (.270). The Royals aren’t sitting still after last year’s dramatic turnaround, and India is proof."
Firstly, take a moment to appreciate how awful a .270 OBP for the most important on-base spot in the lineup is. Then, appreciate further how the Royals somehow made the playoffs, which speaks to the sheer brilliance of Witt.
But the Royals want to improve on their 86-win season, and that's where India comes in. He doesn't have to be spectacular, but if he can be above average (which his career 104 OPS+ indicates), he'll make Witt even more deadly.
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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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