Scouts are not as high on Jonathan India as they were. Why?
- Born: December 15, 19996
- B/T: R/R
- 6’0″, 200-lbs
- Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 1st round of the 2018 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of Florida (Gainesville)
The Numbers
His raw numbers are listed above courtesy of baseball-reference.com. Let’s aggregate by year then focus on the important numbers for minor leaguers:
The numbers look good from here, don’t they? Great bat control with high walk rates and solid strikeout rates. No wonder his OBP has been consistently good. He has some speed, and he has some power too.
He likes hitting lefties more. His bat against righties is a bit more concerning, though his OBP is fine, and he hits more home runs against them.
This is a pull power chart, and that’s something the scouts have observed. He might be a .250-.260 batter in the majors unless he can reach his opposite field power in a more consistent manner.
He hovers around the almost-.800 OPS line, having a great May 2019, and having a struggling June 2019. His average doesn’t quite reach the .800 level as a result of the ups and downs being more down than up.
The Scouts
- Rotowire: #191 on their Top 400.
- BaseballHQ: Not on their Top 100.
- Fangraphs: Not on their Top 120.
- Fantasy Six Pack: #254 on their dynasty list.
- Prospects365: #111 on Ray Butler’s Top 200.
- Imaginary Brick Wall: #66 on the Top 487.
- Fantrax: #93 on the Top 250.
Warnings
Although his numbers look good, there is risk. He has only pull power now. Will that improve in his age 23 season or beyond?
Will his average against RHP cost him playing time?
For a batter with a good eye who has already reached AA, he appears high on some scout lists and not at all on others.
Conclusion
He has nice bat control, and he is almost certainly going to make the majors and play 3B for the Reds. The question the scouts have whether he will be an offensive force at the plate or just a pull-power .260 hitter who can steal a few bases.
Defensively he is above-average, so he is very likely to be the future for 3B for the Reds. Time will tell if his power grows.