Tracking ex-Gators Singer, Kowar, India
Man On Second Baseball is on the trail of former University of Florida greats, Brady Singer, Jackson Kowar and Jonathan India. The three were part of the Gators’ 2017 National Championship team, and they each were first-round picks in 2018.
By Joe Frisaro @ManOn2nd
At the University of Florida, they are regarded as baseball legends.
Right-handers Brady Singer and Jackson Kowar, along with third baseman Jonathan India are among the greatest players in UF history.
The three were part of the Gators’ 2017 National Championship squad, and a year later, they each had their names called in the first round.
India was the fifth overall pick in 2018 by the Cincinnati Reds. Singer was selected 18th overall by the Kansas City Royals, and with the 33rd pick, Kowar, also went to the Royals.
Of the trio, Singer has already seen MLB time, making 12 starts, posting a 4.06 ERA. The 24-year-old has graduated from MLB Pipeline’s prospect list, but continues to have rookie status.
Kowar and India are both non-roster invitees.
MO2 focuses on players from Florida, or who have played collegiately in the state.
So we’re catching up with the three former Gator standouts who share a championship together as well as the honor of being first-rounders from the same university. If you need a refresher of when they were Drafted, here’s a story that ran in the Miami Herald in 2018.
Here’s a progress report on each:
RHP Brady Singer, 6-foot-5, 215, Eustis, Fla.: Singer is one of the most decorated players in Gators’ history. He was the 2018 Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year.
Singer projects to be part of the Opening Day rotation, not surprising since he made 12 starts and logged 64 1/3 innings with 61 strikeouts and 23 walks in 2020. In Spring Training, he’s made two Cactus League starts, with 11 strikeouts and a 2.57 ERA in seven innings.
According to insiders, Singer is ultra competitive, and has already shown the ability to battle his way through the lineup, even if his stuff starts to drop off a bit. He relies on his sinker and a plus slider. His changeup is still developing.
RHP Jackson Kowar, 6-foot-5, 200-pounds, Charlotte, N.C.: Kowar received less fanfare than Singer in college, and is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the Royals’ No. 4 prospect. The right-hander has a power four-seam fastball to go with a plus changeup, which is an out-pitch for him. Kowar’s Cactus League numbers don’t look great, in a small sample size. He has a 9.82 ERA in 7 1/3 innings with eight strikeouts. A five-run in 1 1/3 innings against the Dodgers on March 5 drove up his spring ERA.
More importantly is how he’s throwing the ball. The right-hander still has to polish up his curveball as a third pitch. Once he does that, it will make his changeup that much more effective. The future appears very bright for the 24-year-old, who has the makings of being a top of the rotation talent.
INF Jonathan India, 6-foot, 200-pounds, Coral Springs, Fla.: A first-team All-American at Florida in 2018, India was the SEC Player of the Year, and he was taken fifth overall by the Reds. He dealt with some injuries in the past, but was healthy in 2020. In Spring Training, India is showing why he was a high first-round pick. A non-roster invitee, there is talk that India could make the Opening Day roster as the starting second baseman. He’s swung the bat well in camp, and even some of his outs have come on hard-contact lineouts, off MLB established pitchers.
A third baseman at UF and thus far in pro ball, India is being considered at second base. Cincinnati is open to changing things up to put its best offensive lineup on the field. Eugenio Suarez may play short, and Mike Moustakas may shift from second base to first base, his original position. That creates the possibility for India to get work at second.