Royals 'Tone-Setter' Impresses New Teammates With Elite Toughness

The Kansas City Royals worried some fans when they traded Brady Singer last November, but those same fans are probably already in love with Jonathan India.

The 28-year-old India (along with Joey Wiemer) came to Kansas City in the Singer trade, and he’s been playing inspiring baseball to begin the 2025 campaign.

As noted by MLB.com’s Anne Rogers in a new piece released Wednesday, India is excelling at the plate (exactly what the Royals acquired him to do) and has demonstrated a unique toughness that has turned heads in Kansas City’s clubhouse.

“While the Royals’ trade for India … made a lot of sense on paper because of how desperately they needed a leadoff hitter, there were still some questions that needed to be answered,” Rogers wrote.

“Would India actually fill the hole the Royals had at the top of the lineup? Would they miss the durable starter Brady Singer and all his innings? The latter hasn’t been answered fully, but India has been everything the Royals have needed as a tone-setter. Through Wednesday, India has a .393 on-base percentage and reached base safely 11 times in 28 plate appearances.”

“He also showed his toughness and impressed the entire clubhouse after getting hit on the head by a 99 mph pitch on Sunday and insisting that he play the next day, knocking three hits in the Royals’ win on Monday.”

India looks like the perfect leadoff hitter in front of Bobby Witt Jr. so far. Opposing pitchers have to work extremely hard to get the scrappy India out, and then they barely have time to catch their breath before facing an MVP-caliber bat in Witt Jr.

India is an elite talent in his own right. There’s a reason he won National League Rookie of the Year in 2021, and there’s a reason the Cincinnati Reds took him at No. 5 overall in the 2018 MLB draft.

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