Young athletes are setting the pace for Cincinnati’s sports teams
While the Tokyo Olympics are capturing the headlines for Ohio’s—and the nation’s—prodigious superstars, there’s no shortage of up-and-comers earning attention in Cincinnati’s professional sports scene this season.
Jonathan India
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India is having an excellent, if under-the-radar, season as one of the team’s prolific batters.
He may not be attracting the attention he’d receive playing a team in a bigger market, but India’s numbers speak for themselves.
India is currently rocking a .408 on-base percentage (OBP), good enough for third best in the National League. The last time a rookie led the league in OBP was nearly a century ago in 1926.
The Reds, currently sitting four games above .500, are five games back from a wild card spot. If they’re to catch the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres before the season ends, they’ll need India to maintain this impressive pace.
Arquimides Ordonez
On July 3, FC Cincinnati officially signed 17-year-old winger Arquimides Ordonez to a Homegrown contract. Last Saturday he made his first appearance for the senior squad by making a substitute appearance at left back against Nashville SC in a 3-0 loss.
With 15 minutes remaining in the game, Ordonez came on to the field hoping to be a sparkplug for a team that struggled to cope during the match. Although he looked comfortable on the ball, the teenager mentioned the moment was “bittersweet” due to the loss.
“I definitely had to get adjusted to playing left back but it felt pretty nice,” said Ordonez in a post-game interview. “It felt pretty good to get minutes under my belt.”
Only the second homegrown player signed in FC Cincinnati’s short history, Ordonez is the first Cincinnati homegrown player to ever earn minutes for the Orange and Blue.
Homegrown players are common to the world of soccer but unique compared to other traditional sports in America. Players signed to these contracts have “lived in the club’s territory and have spent at least one in the club’s academy.” However, these players do not count against a team’s salary cap.
Honorable Mention: Ja’Marr Chase
There may be another budding superstar this fall when Cincinnati Bengals rookie Ja’Marr Chase is reunited with teammate Joe Burrow. Although his first season hasn’t started yet, Chase showed immense promise in his college career as a wide receiver for Louisiana State University.
