Ranking the 10 most important young players for the Reds future

7. Jonathan India, Reds second baseman

Jonathan India is back to playing like the player he was back in 2021 when he took home the National League Rookie of the Year trophy. India slimmed down during the offseason, added some speed, and has developed into the leader that this Reds team needs heading into the future.

There are certainly questions about India's long-term future at second base. Some fans are dead-set on the idea of moving India to left field or making him the team's exclusive designated hitter. There's no way the latter is going to happen, and even the former seems like a stretch.

India may just be one of the key players who's hitting, speed, and leadership are so valuable that his liability as a defender is acceptable. While India had a near MLB-worst -14 defensive runs saved in 2022, Former AL MVP Jose Altuve was dead-last with -15 DRS. If your bat is good enough, the manager will ignore a flawed defensive performance.

Jonathan India will be arbitration eligible after this season. While a lot of Reds fans would love to see the team secure India's services beyond the next three years, the team does have quite a bit of middle infielders in the farm system. But it's India's intangibles that make him indispensable. The former Florida Gator will be a key piece of the Reds organization for years to come.