Reds’ 2B India is NL’S top rookie
Tampa Bay’s Randy Arozarena won AL Rookie of the Year
honors with a superb follow-up to his 2020
postseason heroics while Cincinnati
Reds second baseman Jonathan India earned NL Rookie of the Year on Monday night.
India won the NL award eight months after earning the team’s second base
job during spring training and never letting it go during a stellar first season.
The 24-year-old India received 29 of 30 first-place votes, beating out Miami lefthanded pitcher Trevor Rogers and St. Louis outfielder Dylan Carlson. Rogers got one first-place vote.
India was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2018 draft and played third base in college
at Florida, but he’s found a home at second base in the big leagues and become a
cornerstone for the Reds’ future. His quick impact in the
big leagues was somewhat surprising considering he had just 111 at-bats above Single-a before 2021.
He was the Reds’ first rookie of the year winner since pitcher
Scott Williamson in 1999.
The 6-foot, 200-pound India was
an all-around threat — particularly during the second half of the
season — often batting leadoff and finishing with a .269 average, 34 doubles, 21 homers, 69 RBIS and 12 stolen bases. He
also showed good discipline in the batter’s box, coaxing 71 walks to finish with a .376 on-base percentage, and scored 98 runs.
The 23-year-old Rogers finished second. 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.
Carlson was part of a young, talented outfield for a Cardinals
ROOKIE,