RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Draft target ~75 pick
CURRENT ADP: ~87 overall
ANALYSIS: NL Rookie of the Year showed why he was the fifth overall pick back in 2018. India hit .269 with an exceptional .376 OBP to go with 21 HR and 12 SB last season. While those numbers are great for a rookie, India has really just scratched the surface of his potential. Having that OBP as a rookie shows that India is a smart hitter who has an understanding of big-league pitching. On top of the walks, India showed his ability to make adjustments throughout the season. He had trouble hitting breaking pitches to start off, as many rookies do, only hitting them hard 15.4% of the time in May. By the time September came around, his hard-hit rate on breaking pitches shot up to 38.1%.
One of the biggest negatives of India revolves around hitting the ball hard. His average exit velocity and hard-hit rate were below average, but I think he can improve those skills in short order. His Barrel % was above average, landing in the 61st percentile, so he is able to make quality contact. Building some strength in the offseason and as he enters his prime will help him hit the ball harder, and playing in Cincinnati will always help get a few balls over the fence that aren’t hit hard.
The simple fact that India won’t have the standard rookie adjustment period in 2022 is reason enough to think his numbers will be better than last season. His OPS in his first months of the season was .683. From June through the end of the season, it was .882. Once India got into the swing of things, he got better and better and didn’t look back.
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