Sunday, August 03

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ST. LOUIS -- Around mid-May, Royals coaches and officials talked with Jonathan India about how he was feeling now that the season had gotten underway.

There had been a lot going on for the new Royals leadoff hitter, who joined the team in November via trade and got to know his new teammates and new role about a month before Spring Training. When spring came, he jumped right into the new environment and workload.

On top of getting to know a new team and all that comes with it, India was learning a brand new position in left field. The 28-year-old had spent the entirety of his big league career playing second base for the Reds. Now the Royals were moving him around, sending him out to left field and slotting him at third base at times.

That’s a lot, so the conversation last month centered around how India felt about it.

“And I was honest: I’m grinding,” India said. “It’s harder than I thought. But I’m willing to do it. I’m a team guy. Never say never. But they saw that it was hurting me, mentally and physically, and maybe were like, ‘Let him settle in with one spot.’”

India has never been one to shy away from a challenge, but he admitted that going to the outfield and being in more of a utility role was a physical grind. It was one that he’s more than willing to take on, he emphasized, but he recognized the importance of offseason training to be able to excel at it.

“The whole utility thing this year was tough to learn at such a fast pace,” India said. “I just wasn’t in a good spot physically. I thought I was in the spring. But everything changes in The Show.”

The Royals saw the toll it was taking on India and have begun to play him more consistently at second base. India’s defense hasn’t been where he has wanted it so far this year; he’s made 11 errors, with five coming at third base and four at second base. He’s recorded -3 Outs Above Average and -2 Defensive Runs Saved at second base this year.

But the Royals hope and believe that more consistent playing time at one position might help India on the field. His offense has been more like they envisioned, especially at the top of the lineup. India has a .244/.333/.307 slash line for the season entering Thursday, but in May he hit .266 with a .343 on-base percentage. Since May 3 and entering Thursday, India had reached base in 19 of 24 games, a stretch in which he slashed .284/.386/.368. That’s what the Royals need at the top of their lineup.

“Just feels more consistent, more energy,” India said. “I feel like I’m settling a little bit more. I’m not fully there yet, but it feels a little more normal.”

It doesn’t mean India’s time in left field is over. A need might arise, and India’s ready for that. But he was appreciative of the conversation he had about the workload.

“They saw it right away,” India said. “I’m thankful that they actually had the conversation. I wasn’t going to go in, because I’m not the one to complain or be like that. But they pulled me in to have that conversation. And I was clear that I am still willing to move around. And they said I’m not fully just going to be the second baseman. But I am going to settle in there.”

Voting has opened for the 2025 All-Star Game, which will be held on July 15 in Atlanta. Phase 1 of voting will end on June 26 at 11 a.m. CT. During this time, fans can vote for the All-Star starters for each league.

Fill out the ballot at MLB.com/vote. Here’s more information about Phase 1, Phase 2 and everything else All-Star voting related.

The most deserving Royal this year? It’s starter Kris Bubic, who has a 1.43 ERA across 12 starts -- and as of Wednesday night, that’s the best among all qualified starters in MLB. It's also the best mark through 12 starts in Royals history and the third-lowest ERA through 12 starts by an AL pitcher since 1995, trailing Pedro Martinez (0.99 ERA in 2000) and Justin Verlander (1.11 ERA in ‘18).

But if you’re voting, Bobby Witt Jr. is absolutely deserving of another All-Star nod, too, given his .287/.346/.494 slash line entering Thursday.

It was an incredible May for Bubic, who posted an AL-best 0.56 ERA -- just two earned runs in 32 1/3 innings. The only runs he allowed in May came on a solo home run by Houston’s Jeremy Peña on May 13 and an RBI single by Minnesota's Ty France on May 25.

Otherwise? A whole lot of zeros.

“Just trying to pitch deep into games, be as efficient as I can, inning after inning, because that saves the bullpen,” Bubic said. “That gives us a good chance to win, and it has a trickle-down effect. What our starters have been able to do, not just this year but last year, we talk about that a lot -- pitching deep into games. Quality starts, giving our team a chance.”

Bubic became the 10th Royals pitcher (17th instance) to be named AL Pitcher of the Month.

Bubic’s 0.56 ERA was the best mark in the month of May in Royals history (minimum five starts) and was the third-best in any month, trailing only Zack Greinke’s 0.50 ERA in April 2009 and Greinke’s 0.55 ERA in September '09.

“Any time you get recognized, it’s pretty cool,” Bubic said. “But I think it’s more of a collective effort, in terms of the catchers, the defense behind me, relievers coming in… and just the pitching team as a whole. The process we put in. Results are nice, but it starts with a good process, and I think we do a really good job of that behind the scenes.”

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