Tag: Gators in MLB

Former Gator Jonathan India named MLB’s 2021 Rookie of the year by Baseball America

Former UF infielder Jonathan India had a fantastic first campaign with the Cincinnati Reds.

Florida’s baseball program has been arguably the most consistent over the course of the last decade, and with the team constantly recruiting at an elite level, it’s no surprise that it puts good players into the major leagues with regularity.

The latest of these is Jonathan India, who played at Florida 2016-18. India was dominant in college, being named the 2018 SEC Player of the Year and a First Team All-American by several outlets. He was projected to be one of the top players selected in the 2018 MLB draft, and indeed, the Cincinnati Reds took him fifth overall.

India made his debut for the Reds in 2021, and he had a spectacular season. For his efforts, he’s been named Baseball America’s Rookie of the Year.

India appeared in 150 games for Cincinnati, playing mostly at second base and earning a .269 batting average with 21 home runs and 69 RBI. He had 36 extra-base hits on the season, 34 of which were doubles.

It took India a couple of years to reach the sport’s pinnacle, as he spent the last two seasons in the minor leagues. But his major league career is off to a phenomenal start, and he could be the latest Gators player to make a big impact in MLB.

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Former Gators infielder Jonathan India garnering HOF comparisons as a rookie

Cincinnati hasn’t seen production from a rookie like this in 65 years.

Former Gators infielder Jonathan India is having a historic rookie year for the Cincinnati Reds. With 96 runs and 56 extra-base hits, he becomes the first Reds rookie since Hall of Famer Frank Robinson to reach both marks in 1956, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Robinson was named National League Rookie of the Year unanimously that year, and India is the favorite to take home the award this 65 years later.

If the comparison to Robinson is any indication, India should be a fixture in Cincinnati’s lineup for a long time. Robinson stayed in the MVP conversation for the next 17 years, and Reds first baseman Joey Votto has all but said he expects India to be in the race someday.

Votto is also careful not to put too much pressure on India, who is just 24 years old and three years removed from playing for the Gators. In 2018, India had one of the best offensive seasons in Florida baseball history and was named SEC Player of the Year and a consensus First Team All-American.

India’s transition to the major league level has come fairly quickly, and the Reds’ decision to start a rookie at second base for the first time since Pete Rose seems to be working out. India has a .271 average, 33 doubles and 21 home runs with four games left in Cincinnati’s season.

The only thing working against India is the Reds missing the playoffs, but he should become the second former Gator to win the NL Rookie of the Year in the past three years.

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Former Gator infielder leads NL Rookie of the Year conversation

Jonathan India is having the rookie season everyone dreams of as a kid. Will he be this year’s NL Rookie of the Year?

Former Florida Gator Jonathan India is having the rookie year most players only ever dream of. Not only will he attempt to help his team reach the playoffs, but India is in a great position to finish the year as the National League’s Rookie of the Year.

India made his debut for the Cincinnati Reds on Opening Day with a double and never looked back. The 24-year-old infielder earned his call-up following an incredible spring training performance and he’s proved the organization right with a Rookie of the Month Award in July.

The Rookie of the Year race in the NL has been between India and Miami’s Trevor Rogers for most of the year. With an fWAR of 3.3, India leads all rookies and appears to have taken the edge over Rogers, who’s been out since July 31 tending to a family emergency.

Being part of a playoff team is always an accolade to consider in awards voting and it’s made the difference for Rookie of the Year in the past. So, if Cincinnati can pass San Diego for the second wildcard spot, it could mean everything for India’s bid. Two games back of the Padres and with India slashing .296/.412/.514 in the leadoff spot, the Reds should at least come close.

India would be the second former Gator to win the NL Rookie of the Year after Pete Alonso won it in 2019.Ā He won a College World Series with Florida back in 2017 and won the SEC Baseball Player of the Year award as a junior the following year. The Reds selected him fifth overall in the 2018 MLB draft.

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Follow usĀ @GatorsWireĀ on Twitter and like our page onĀ FacebookĀ to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Pete Alonso will attempt to defend 2019 Home Run Derby crown

The Polar Bear, as he is affectionately called, will have some stiff competition this year including two-way Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who is tied for the MLB lead in homers with 23.

Former Florida baseball star Pete Alonso announced Wednesday that he will try to defend his Home Run Derby crown in Denver next month. The New York Mets first baseman won the event in 2019 when he outslugged Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 23-22 in the final round.

“I had so much fun during the first one, so I was like, ‘You know what? Let’s do it again,'” Alonso said, according to MLB.com. “I just had a blast.”

The Polar Bear, as he is affectionately called, will have some stiff competition this year including two-way Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who is tied for the MLB lead in homers with 23.

Alonso also hasn’t sent too many baseballs out of the yard with only 11 this season. But the Derby is being held at Coors Field, where he’s homered three times in six games. Regardless of how many home runs he has, Alonso is guaranteed to be the top seed in the event because he is the defending champion.

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He will try to be the fourth player to win the Derby twice. Alonso sits sixth in All-Star voting among National League first basemen, but he doesn’t need to be an All-Star to compete.

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Pete Alonso will attempt to defend 2019 Home Run Derby crown

The Polar Bear, as he is affectionately called, will have some stiff competition this year including two-way Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who is tied for the MLB lead in homers with 23.

Former Florida baseball star Pete Alonso announced Wednesday that he will try to defend his Home Run Derby crown in Denver next month. The New York Mets first baseman won the event in 2019 when he outslugged Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. 23-22 in the final round.

“I had so much fun during the first one, so I was like, ‘You know what? Let’s do it again,'” Alonso said, according to MLB.com. “I just had a blast.”

The Polar Bear, as he is affectionately called, will have some stiff competition this year including two-way Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, who is tied for the MLB lead in homers with 23.

Alonso also hasn’t sent too many baseballs out of the yard with only 11 this season. But the Derby is being held at Coors Field, where he’s homered three times in six games. Regardless of how many home runs he has, Alonso is guaranteed to be the top seed in the event because he is the defending champion.

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He will try to be the fourth player to win the Derby twice. Alonso sits sixth in All-Star voting among National League first basemen, but he doesn’t need to be an All-Star to compete.

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Pete Alonso accuses MLB of manipulating baseballs to tamper with free agent market

Pete Alonso doesn’t believe the MLB should restrict illegal substances pitchers use. He also thinks MLB alters the baseball for free agency.

A New York Mets media member asked first baseman Pete Alonso for his thoughts on the MLB becoming more strict about pitchers using illegal, sticky substances to improve their grip on the baseball Thursday.

He nodded his head yes and seemed eager to answer the question. The former Florida star didn’t agree with the MLB’s decision to crack down on pitchers using illegal substances.

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ā€œSince the start of the game, pitchers have been using ā€˜substancesā€™ā€”I mean, thereā€™s a bag of rosin behind the mound right now to help guys dry their hands and get grip,” Alonso said, according to Sports Illustrated. “For me, I think whether theyā€™re using pine tar, rosin, Bullfrog, sunscreen and rosin, whatever they want to use to help control the ball, let them use it. Because for me, I go in the box every single day and I see guys throwing harder and harder every day. I donā€™t want 99 slipping out of someoneā€™s hand because they didnā€™t have enough feel for it.ā€

The MLB will reportedly implement a more strict plan of enforcement this month with this issue. Umpires can issue routine and checks for any illegal substances during games.

Alonso then pivoted and took his answer in a different direction.

He told reporters before New York’s game against the Orioles that he believes that the league has altered baseballs on a yearly basis based on the following offseason’s free agency class to limit player’s earning power before they become available on the open market.

ā€œThe biggest concern is that Major League Baseball manipulates the baseballs year in and year out depending on the free agency class, or guys being in an advanced part of their arbitration,” Alonso said.Ā “So I do think thatā€™s a big issue … Maybe if the league didnā€™t change the baseball, pitchers wouldnā€™t need to use as much sticky stuff.”

He also claimed that there are other players who share his view about changing the baseball.

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WATCH: Former Gator Jonathan India smacks a double in MLB debut

India hit an 82 mph slider down the left-field line into the corner to notch an extra-base hit in his second career MLB plate appearance.

Major League Baseball’s opening day has arrived and currently there are nine former Florida Gators on big league rosters heading into the 2021 schedule ā€” albeit, with one on the injured list for the next month or so. Of those players, there is an infielder who played a major role on UF’s 2017 national championship squad who made his MLB debut on Thursday and started his career with a bang.

Jonathan India got the start at second base for the Cincinnati Reds against the St. Louis Cardinals after a torrid spring training performance that earned him the trip north. He struck out in his first at-bat against Jack Flaherty but his second time up, he proved why the Reds were wise to put him on the field for the first game of the season.

On a 2-2 pitch, India hit an 82 mph slider down the left-field line into the corner for a double in his second career MLB plate appearance. Here is a look at his first career (extra-base) hit.

He put up some eye-popping numbers in spring training, which earned him the opening day call-up and he can be expected to continue producing as the year wears on. Congrats to Jonathan from the Gator Nation!

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