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

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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