Who is Brady Singer? Reds’ new pitcher was Jonathan India’s Florida Gators teammate

Brady Singer, the right-handed starting pitcher the Cincinnati Reds acquired Friday in a trade of Jonathan India and Joey Wiemer to the Kansas City Royals, was India’s teammate with the University of Florida Gators from 2016 to 2018.

Singer and India were separated by just 13 picks in the 2018 MLB draft, with the Reds selecting India fifth overall and the Royals taking Singer 18th.

Together they helped the Gators to the 2017 College World Series championship. Singer started and won two games in the CWS. India was a key contributor for the 2017 team despite an injury, and he earned SEC Player of the Year honors as a 2018 All-American, lifting Florida to a 2018 CWS win in an elimination game with an RBI single and three-run homer against Texas.

Singer was the Royals’ first-round pick in 2018.

The Baltimore Orioles’ Grayson Rodriguez (11th overall) and the Seattle Mariners’ Logan Gilbert (14th), among the top pitchers in the American League last season, were two of the players selected between India at fifth overall and Singer at 18th.

Later in the first round, the Royals also took Jackson Kowar, a Florida teammate of India and Singer, 33rd overall.

At Florida, Singer posted a 23-10 record and 3.22 ERA. In his final college season, Singer was named Baseball America National Player of the Year, and won the Dick Howser Trophy as the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association’s top college baseball player.

Singer’s high school, Florida’s Eustis HS, produced another former Reds draft pick.

Catcher Chris Okey starred at Eustis, a couple of years before Singer. He played three seasons at Clemson before the Reds made him their second-round pick in the 2016 MLB draft. Okey had two hits in 13 plate appearances for the Reds in 2022.

Singer played at Tavares High School and transferred to Eustis before his senior season. He was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the second round of the 2015 MLB draft, but opted instead to pitch for the Gators.

Singer pitched six shutout innings at GABP in the Royals’ win against the Reds in August.

Singer scattered five hits and walked one while striking out six in Kansas City’s 8-1 win. India had one of those five hits.

It was the only start out of 10 Singer made in August and September that he won.

Singer’s only other career start against the Reds came in July 2021. He allowed one run on five hits and a walk while striking out six over six innings in a no-decision. India walked and singled off of Singer.

Singer struck out the only batter he faced in the 2024 postseason.

In Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the New York Yankees, Singer entered a 2-2 game in the top of the 7th inning and struck out American League MVP Aaron Judge to end the inning.

One inning later, the Royals’ Kris Bubic gave up a solo home run to Giancarlo Stanton, which proved to be the difference in a 3-2 win.