3 Reds players who could be All-Star starters in 2026

2. Jonathan India, Reds second baseman

Another Cincinnati Reds rookie makes the cut, as I believe Jonathan India will be a starter in the 2026 All-Star Game. The Red Sparrow, as he’s affectionately referred to by some fans, has picked up his game of late and shown that he can be a force atop the Reds batting order. If India continues to bat first in the Cincinnati lineup, good things will come his way.

This year, of course, India has the luxury of hitting ahead of Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos; the two most likely NL MVP winners if the season ended today (unless your name is Buster Olney). There’s no doubt that hitting ahead of that dynamic duo has India seeing some quality pitches, as the last thing an opposing pitcher would want is runners on when Winker or Castellanos are up.

However, Winker is under team control until 2023, and if Cincinnati’s front office has any sense whatsoever, the 27-year-old will be the first player that Nick Krall and the Reds executives talk to this offseason in regards to a contract extension.

If Jesse Winker is in a Reds uniform for the foreseeable future, you can bet that India will be hitting ahead of him. No one else within the organization strikes me as a candidate to replace India as the Reds’ leadoff batter, meaning the 24-year-old has many years ahead of him of flying around the base paths, scoring runs.

India is also very solid defensively. Granted, the rookie has had his fair share of hiccups this season, but let’s not forget it’s his first playing second base on a regular basis. Look for Jonathan India to enter the conversation as one of the best second basemen in the NL and find his way into the starting lineup for the 2026 All-Star Game.