Former American Heritage standout Jonathan India N.L. Rookie of the Year
Former American Heritage standout Jonathan India was named National League Rookie of the Year Monday.
India, the Cincinnati Reds second baseman, received 29 of 30 first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America, beating out Miami left-hander Trevor Rogers and St. Louis outfielder Dylan Carlson. Rogers got the other first-place vote.
India earned the second base job during spring training and never let go, leading all rookies in runs (98), doubles (34), extra-base hits (57), on-base percentage (.376) and on-base plus slugging (.835). He also led N.L. rookies in RBI (69) while ranking second in hits (143), home runs (21) and stolen bases (12), usually batting leadoff the second half of the season.
India makes Reds roster: Former American Heritage standout Jonathan India starting at second base for Cincinnati Reds
In the process, India became the first rookie in MLB history to have at least 20 home runs, 20 hit-by-pitches and 10 stolen bases in the same year.
Considering he had just 111 at-bats above Single-A before 2021 and was a non-roster invitee during spring training in Arizona, his performance this season is even more amazing.
India, who played third base at Florida, also becomes the second former Gator in three seasons to take home N.L. Rookie of the Year honors. New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso won the award in 2019 after setting the MLB rookie record with 53 home runs.
India helped the Gators capture their first-ever NCAA Championship in 2017. He batted .310 during his three seasons at UF with 208 hits, 31 home runs, six triples, 43 doubles, 147 runs scored, 126 RBI and 41 stolen bases. He was the SEC Player of the Year in 2018.
He was selected fifth overall in the June 2018 MLB Draft by the Reds out of American Heritage, where the Fort Lauderdale native played for four seasons. As a senior, he batted .405 with 23 RBI and earned Palm Beach Post Small Schools Player of the Year honors.
Meanwhile, Rogers was part of the Marlins' young rotation. 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.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Cincinnati Reds' Jonathan India wins National League Rookie of the Year
