India embraces new team and shows off his versatility in KC

SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The Royals rounded out their first week of Cactus League action Saturday, and one of their early standouts has been newcomer Jonathan India.

India, whom the Royals acquired from the Reds in November, has slotted in as the club¡¯s new leadoff hitter, while flashing his versatility and playing three positions in his first five games. India is batting .333 with a .471 on-base percentage.

¡°He¡¯s a gamer,¡± Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. ¡°He loves to play. He wants to win. He¡¯s been open, he¡¯s been working incredibly hard to work in the outfield, work at third, work at second, so he¡¯s been as advertised.¡±

India expects to be the club¡¯s regular leadoff hitter, setting the table for a potent heart of the lineup that will include shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino and catcher Salvador Perez, in that order.

¡°Those are our guys, right?¡± Quatraro said. ¡°They¡¯re going to be everyday players. They¡¯re the guys that carry the bulk of the offense. They¡¯re leaders. They¡¯re gamers. They set the example on and off the field for the rest of the team, and that¡¯s what you expect from your best players.¡±

When asked to define his role and what he brings to his new club, India summed it up succinctly.

¡°Leadoff guy,¡± India said. ¡°[I bring] a lot of fire and a lot of passion. A lot of energy. I¡¯m an energy guy and hopefully they feed off that, because I¡¯ll set the tempo for everyone.¡±

India¡¯s speed on the basepaths makes him the perfect partner to tag-team with Witt at the top of the Royals¡¯ lineup.

¡°Running the bases aggressively is something that we take a lot of pride in,¡± Quatraro said. ¡°He loves to do that. And Bobby being on base behind him. Hopefully India¡¯s comfortable getting some stolen bases as well. It¡¯s something that he¡¯s talked to us about that he wants to do as well, so, he should fit the mold perfectly.¡±

India swiped 13 bases for the Reds in 151 games last season.

On Nov. 22, 2024, the Royals sent homegrown starting pitcher Brady Singer to the Reds in exchange for India and outfielder Joey Wiemer. India found out he was traded while vacationing in Italy with his family. His phone rang at 1 a.m. and he received the news that he was no longer a Red.

India was not caught off guard by the trade in the slightest. His name had been floated in trade rumors over the previous two seasons. India was ready for the next chapter of his journey, and he has since welcomed the change of scenery with open arms.

¡°I kind of knew something was coming,¡± India said. ¡°I think it was about time for me to head out. I was on the trade block for a couple years in Cincy and I think it was the right time to do it. They needed a pitcher and they got one. It sucks it was for my college teammate, ya know? Me and Brady Singer played together at Florida. It¡¯s tough, but I¡¯m happy I¡¯m here.¡±

Quatraro has been impressed -- but not surprised -- by how quickly India has meshed with his new teammates, quickly establishing himself as a glue guy.

¡°That¡¯s everything we heard prior, too, is that he was a real leader for the Reds,¡± Quatraro said. ¡°He¡¯s the guy that gets in the mix, in the postgame celebrations and all that kind of stuff. So even before showing up here, in the offseason, the conversations he had with teammates, and everything we heard from our guys after they talked to him was incredible.¡±

Now with the Royals, India has been tasked with learning a new position at the Major League level. He¡¯s appeared in left field in two of his first five games, and is expected to see time in both the infield and the outfield this season.

¡°It¡¯s a learning curve, for sure,¡± India said. ¡°I¡¯ve never played outfield in my life. This is the first time I¡¯ve ever done it, so I¡¯m learning a new position. It¡¯s definitely going to be tough at the beginning, but that¡¯s everything in baseball, especially when you¡¯re learning something new, so I¡¯m up for the challenge."