CINCINNATI — Jonathan India of the Cincinnati Reds won NL Rookie of the Year honors on Monday night, eight months after earning the team’s second base job during spring training and never letting it go during a stellar first season.
The 24-year-old India received 29 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, beating out Miami left-handed pitcher Trevor Rogers and St. Louis outfielder Dylan Carlson. Rogers got one first-place vote.
India was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 draft and played third base in college at Florida, but he’s found a home at second base in the big leagues and has become a cornerstone for the Reds’ future. His quick impact in the big leagues was somewhat surprising considering he had just 111 at-bats above Single-A before 2021.
He’s the Reds’ first rookie of the year winner since pitcher Scott Williamson in 1999.
The 6-foot, 200-pound India was an all-around threat — particularly during the second half of the season — often batting leadoff and finishing with a .269 average, 34 doubles, 21 homers, 69 RBIs and 12 stolen bases. He also showed good discipline in the batter’s box, coaxing 71 walks to finish with a .376 on-base percentage, and scored 98 runs.
The 23-year-old Rogers finished second. He was chosen as an All-Star during an excellent season that included a 7-8 record and 2.64 ERA over 25 starts. The hard-throwing lefty struck out 155 batters over 133 innings.
Carlson was part of a young, talented outfield for a Cardinals team that made a late-season charge to the playoffs. Playing as a 22-year-old, he batted .266 with 18 homers and provided solid defense in all three outfield spots.
