Whether Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India homers or strikes out, he has the same routine after he gets back to the dugout. He puts his helmet away and takes his place on the top step of the dugout.
For every pitch when he’s not on the field, India stands behind the on-deck circle, just to the left of manager David Bell. India is as close as he can be to home plate, and he’s locked into every pitch. He’s studying the pitcher and clapping for his teammates.
India doesn’t change his routine when he goes through slumps. When he had one of the worst months of his career, hitting .202 with a .660 OPS in June, he trusted that his attention to detail, his consistency and his effort would help him bounce back.
India says he learns through hard work, and he’s seeing signs that he’s turning the corner. In Tuesday’s win over the Washington Nationals, India had a two-home run game, crushing two line drives over the fence in center field.
“I just want to be the guy that helps the people around me,” India said. “That makes me a better player. I want to be the guy cheering them on no matter what. We feed off each other’s energy. It’s how we’ve been doing this all year.”
Setting the tone for the young Cincinnati Reds lineup
India is the tone setter on a young Reds team that’s exceeding expectations. During spring training, he encouraged his teammates to play with more emotion. When the Reds kicked around the idea of using a Viking home run celebration, a few players came to India with the idea. Now, he’s the one who puts the cape on every player who hits a homer.
The Reds’ aggressive style of play is a reflection of the way that India plays the game. His presence, competitiveness and attitude have made him the de-facto captain of the 2023 Reds.
“It’s crazy because this is just his third year,” Reds center fielder TJ Friedl said. “He has accomplished so much already. A lot of guys on this team look up to him because of his leadership. His vocal leadership means a lot to this team. What I respect the most out of him is that he wants to be on the field each and every inning and be out there with the team. That’s something that every person in this clubhouse respects.”
Making the best of being on the injured list
India started watching every pitch that he could from the top step of the dugout last May. He was on the injured list with a hamstring injury at that point of the 2022 season, and it ate away at him that he couldn’t be on the field to help a Reds team going through one of the worst starts to a season in MLB history.
“I didn’t want to hide, and I didn’t want to be caught up in the whole mindset of being on the IL where you stay in the training room and then get out of here,” India said. “I wanted to be out there still, knowing that I still belong. Knowing I was still a part of this team.”
When the Reds were at their lowest point last season, India worked on changing the culture. When the energy was at its lowest, India took his spot at the top step of the dugout and became more vocal.
For the last 14 months, he has kept that routine when one of his teammates is at the plate. When India is the designated hitter, he stands in the same spot when the Reds are on defense. On days off, he watches the entire game from the top step.
Even when India is struggling at the plate, he doesn’t let any frustration impact the support he’s showing to his teammates. They notice his energy.
“It feels like he’s in the box with you,” Reds infielder Spencer Steer said. “It’s impressive because he’s doing that every game for a full season. It shows how much he cares and wants to lead by example.”
“His care level is very, very high,” Reds catcher Curt Casali said. “He’s in tune with every pitch. If he’s not on the field, he’s encouraging the guys and trying to pick up the energy as much as he possibly can. For him to do that is impressive. It embodies the culture he’s trying to set for the team. He’s the standard. We’re all just trying to follow him.”
Lessons learned from his father
Casali said that the most impressive part of India standing at the top step of the dugout for every pitch is that India never takes a minute to recharge. He doesn’t go back to the dugout, sit on the bench, catch his breath and recover.
India said that mindset is a result of lessons he learned from his father. He started working out with his father, John, when India was 10 years old. John was a bodybuilder, and India went through taxing workouts at a young age. They both knew at the time that Planet Fitness had an age limit that didn’t allow 10-year-olds to work out in their gym, but getting stronger was too important to India.
India’s father told him, “Do anything you can to make it anywhere you want to be.” He instilled a work ethic in India that gives him the endurance to stay locked in.
“Even if I didn’t play baseball, I’d be a hard-working man doing something, having multiple jobs,” India said. “Working hard in this lifestyle is what keeps you going. If you just sit back and watch other people work, you lose a lot. You don’t learn. That’s how I learn. Working hard, watching my teammates do what they do, encouraging them to work. If we don’t work hard, then what are you going to get out of this? Someone will come ahead of you and take your position.”
After the Reds traded shortstop Kyle Farmer last November, India reflected on what he learned from the leader of the 2022 Reds. He recognized how Farmer brought people together.
He saw Farmer “adapt to everyone’s personality,” think hard about ways to connect players with different personalities and “find a way to make it click.” Now, he comes up with plans for off days and road trips. He makes a point to include the rookies and bring them into the group.
“I want to hang out with everyone, adapt to their personality and bring them into the group,” India said. “I’ll take them out to different places. I’ll show them around some road cities that they’ve never been to.”
India’s approach works because his teammates recognize how invested he is in the Reds. Recently, India has been starting more games as the designated hitter as Matt McLain rotates in starts at second base. India has taken ground balls at third base and at first just in case the Reds need him to play another infield position.
Just two years ago, India was a rookie who followed the example of the veterans on an experienced Reds team. Now, India is one of the longest-tenured Reds. Despite how much he struggled at the plate last month, he’s still one of the biggest reasons for their turnaround in 2023.
“Jonathan is giving everything he has to others,” Casali said. “If he can’t be a part of the play, he’ll energize the club. His presence is always felt on our team.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India never takes a pitch off