Kansas City Royals infielder Jonathan India didn't have the season he had hoped for in 2025, his first year with the team. The 29-year-old slashed .233/.323/.346 with just nine homers and 45 RBIs over 136 games after recording a .700-plus OPS in his first four big-league seasons, all with the Cincinnati Reds.

However, Royals manager Matt Quatraro has faith in India moving forward, per MLB.com's Anne Rogers.

“Jonathan’s a proven Major League player who had a down year, offensively, for him,” Quatraro said. “With his bumps and bruises healed up and being in his second year in the city and understanding the organization, we really think it’s going to be a bounce-back year.”

India now enters a contract year, and he'll make more money in free agency next offseason if he returns to form in 2026. 

“You talk to [India], he wasn’t happy with the quality of his at-bats,” Quatraro continued. “He knew he was popping too many balls up. It wasn’t that he was trying to hit homers, he just couldn’t get out of that swing funk. But I think more than anything, I would attribute a lot of that to the fact that he was trying to learn two new positions in Spring Training, and went into his first year with a new organization out of his comfort zone.”

Jonathan India Could Be Royals' X-Factor in 2026

If India posts a slash line similar to his career average of .249/.346/.398 next season, it could take Kansas City's offense to another level.

The Royals have been active this offseason, as they signed star third baseman Maikel Garcia to a five-year extension and brought in young outfielder Isaac Collins via a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. The latter player posted a .779 OPS over 130 games in 2025, his first full big-league season.

That's on top of having core pieces like superstar shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and veteran first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino. Witt was tied for ninth in baseball with a .295 batting average this past season, while Pasquantino was tied for 17th with 32 homers and was sixth with 113 RBIs. Veteran catcher Salvador Perez, who notched 30 homers and 100 RBIs, will also be back.

The Royals finished 19th in baseball with a .706 team OPS last season, which was one of the reasons why they missed the playoffs after making the AL Division Series in 2024. Continued excellence from Witt, Pasquantino, Perez, and Garcia combined with ascenscions from Collins and young outfielder Jac Caglianone would help them bounce back. Add an India resurgence to that list, and they'd be one of the AL's biggest threats.