Joey Votto has stepped away from baseball. The star first baseman, who had been on a minor league contract with the Blue Jays, introduced his retirement on Instagram on Wednesday night. He didn’t get to the majors together with his hometown group however performed an illustrious 17-year profession with the Reds.
Votto supplied a prolonged assertion alongside a short video of him departing Sahlen Subject, house of the Jays’ Triple-A affiliate in Buffalo. Votto thanked his household, numerous former teammates and coaches, and the followers. He expressed some remorse that he wasn’t capable of make it to the large leagues with the Jays, including that he’s “simply not good anymore” earlier than thanking the Canadian fanbase for his or her help and expressing his love for Cincinnati. “I used to be myself on this sport. I used to be capable of be my greatest self. I performed this sport with each final ounce of my physique, coronary heart, and thoughts. Thanks for all the things,” he concluded.
The Reds drafted Votto out of a Toronto prep college in 2002. He’d emerged as one in every of Baseball America’s high 50 prospects by the point he hit his option to Triple-A 5 years later. Votto debuted as a September call-up in ’07. He hit the bottom working in 24 video games and would break by way of as their on a regular basis first baseman the next 12 months.
Votto hit .297/.368/.506 with 24 homers and 32 doubles in his first full season. He completed runner-up to Cubs catcher Geovany Soto in Rookie of the Yr balloting. Votto emerged as an elite hitter by 12 months two, hitting .322/.414/.567 with 25 longballs and 38 doubles. He completed within the high 10 amongst qualifiers in all three slash stats.
That kicked off a virtually decade-long run throughout which Votto was among the many recreation’s greatest gamers. He had arguably his greatest season in 2010. Votto led the majors with a .424 on-base proportion and topped the Nationwide League with an excellent .600 slugging mark. He hit .324 with 37 homers and a career-best 113 runs batted in. It was a dominating efficiency by counting and price stats alike that nabbed him a quite convincing win over Albert Pujols and Carlos González in NL MVP balloting. Votto was the most effective participant on a Cincinnati group that received 91 video games and an NL Central title.
It was the primary of 4 straight seasons by which the lefty hitter topped the NL in on-base proportion. He led the league in walks yearly from 2011-13. His terribly affected person method sometimes made him a goal of criticism amongst some followers who most well-liked he have been extra aggressive, however Votto additionally stuffed a prototypical run producer position. He ranked twentieth in RBI and twenty first in homers amongst MLB hitters between 2010-13. Amongst hitters with 1500+ plate appearances, solely Miguel Cabrera and Joe Mauer hit for a greater common. Votto led the majors in OBP and ranked seventh in slugging. Votto made the All-Star Sport in all 4 seasons and thrice completed within the high 10 in MVP voting. Cincinnati made the playoffs in three of these years, though they by no means superior previous the Division Collection.
Halfway by way of that run, the Reds dedicated to Votto because the face of their franchise. They signed him to a 10-year, $225MM extension early within the 2012 season. It stays the largest funding within the group’s historical past. Whereas the group didn’t have a ton of success over the last decade, that’s not any fault of their first baseman. He remained an impression hitter till the tail finish of the contract.
A quad harm worn out the majority of Votto’s 2014 marketing campaign. He returned at full energy the next 12 months, hitting .314/.459/.541 to snag a third-place MVP end. He would lead the NL in on-base proportion in every of the three seasons after that, incomes two extra high 10 MVP placements within the course of. Between 2015-18, he hit .312/.442/.525 with 106 homers whereas strolling extra usually than he struck out.
The 2018 season was the ultimate of Votto’s six All-Star campaigns. His manufacturing tailed off between 2019-20 and it appeared he’d firmly entered the decline section of his profession. Whereas that was the case to some extent, Votto had another glorious 12 months forward of him. He rebounded with a shocking 36-homer outburst (tied for the second-most he hit in any season) with a .266/.375/.563 slash in 2021. That proved to be his final sturdy season, as he stumbled to substitute stage numbers whereas battling shoulder points between 2022-23.
Votto earned a well-deserved salute from Cincinnati followers in his ultimate recreation at Nice American Ball Park final September. The assured portion of his contract wrapped up and the Reds made the plain name to purchase him out in lieu of a pricey membership possibility for 2024. Votto signed the minor league take care of the Jays throughout the one free agent journey of his profession. He suffered an ankle harm in his first Spring Coaching recreation, holding him on the IL effectively into July. Votto returned to motion halfway by way of the month however hit .143 in 15 Triple-A contests earlier than deciding it was time to maneuver on.
Whereas that retains him from ever showing in a Jays uniform at Rogers Centre, it permits him to retire having spent his total MLB profession with one group. He’s probably the greatest gamers in Reds’ historical past and is among the many best first basemen in league historical past. Votto will certainly garner severe Corridor of Fame consideration when his title seems on the poll in 5 years.
By Jay Jaffe’s JAWS metric (designed to offer a comparability level for gamers towards Corridor of Famers), Votto ranks twelfth amongst first basemen. The 11 gamers above him are both within the Corridor of Fame or, within the instances of Pujols and Cabrera, locks for induction when first eligible. The participant simply behind Votto, Rafael Palmeiro, shouldn’t be within the Corridor, largely due to his ties to performance-enhancing medicine. The next three gamers — Willie McCovey, Todd Helton and Eddie Murray — have been all inducted.
Votto didn’t present fairly the extent of energy related to a Corridor of Fame first baseman. He steps away with 356 homers (twenty ninth on the place) and 1144 runs batted in (forty ninth). These aren’t any small accomplishments for the overwhelming majority of gamers, after all, however Votto’s general excellence was pushed primarily by his on-base capability. He finishes his profession with a .294 common and an enormous .409 on-base proportion. He led the NL within the latter class on seven events.
Whereas Votto surprisingly by no means received a Silver Slugger award — overlapping within the NL with Pujols and Paul Goldschmidt throughout his prime performed a task — he had six high 10 MVP finishes. He earned a Gold Glove in 2011 and the aforementioned MVP honors the 12 months prior. Baseball Reference valued Votto’s profession round 64 wins above substitute, whereas FanGraphs credited him with 59 WAR. That’s proper on the threshold at which place gamers are inclined to obtain respectable Corridor of Fame consideration.
Votto would definitely have provides to remain concerned within the recreation if he needs to take action. He complemented his litany of on-field accomplishments with a cerebral method to hitting and a sarcastic wit that’d little question present teaching or media alternatives if he needed to take them. Votto didn’t tip his hand in his retirement announcement about any plans for the long run. We at MLBTR congratulate him on a improbable profession and need him the most effective in his post-playing days.
Picture courtesy of USA Right now Sports activities.
