Joey Votto ends his career after 17 seasons in the MLB.
The longtime Cincinnati Reds first baseman announced his retirement via Instagram on Wednesday, posting a video in which he said, “It’s over. I’m done. I’m officially retired from baseball.”
The announcement officially ends the story of a player who will be remembered as one of the best hitters of a generation, with six All-Star nominations and an MVP award to his name.
Votto began his professional career as a second-round pick of the Reds in the 2002 MLB draft. It took him a few years to become a top prospect, but he found his feet in the minor leagues in 2006 and made his MLB debut in 2007.
From the start, Votto was a deadly combination of patience and contact at the plate. He finished second for MLB Rookie of the Year in 2008 and then won the MVP award in 2010. From then on, he was a pitcher’s worst nightmare, posting the best on-base percentage in the National League in seven of nine seasons.
That stretch saw the Reds win division titles, but it also saw them slide into the basement of the NL Central. Through it all, Votto remained with the team on a contract that lasted more than a decade, with his tenure in Cincinnati ultimately ending when he became a free agent after 2023. Injuries severely hampered him in his final years with the team.
Votto attempted to continue his career by signing a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. However, as he said in his lengthy Instagram caption, he “didn’t seem to be good anymore.” He struggled in the Jays’ system and never reached the major leagues with the team.
Votto was a hell of a baseball player.
But I can’t help but think of the singular energy he carried: funny, insightful, emotional, honest.
A kind soul, a rare bird who left baseball in better shape than when he arrived and who entertained us the whole way.
What a legacy, what a journey.
– Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) August 21, 2024
Joey Votto’s Chances of Making the Hall of Fame
Votto has had his detractors throughout his career, but it’s hard to imagine voters will keep him out of Cooperstown when he becomes eligible in 2029.
One could quibble about the value of walks — a skill at which Votto is one of the best in MLB history — but it’s hard to think of a better hitter during his first decade in the league. From 2007 to 2017, only Barry Bonds topped Votto (.428) in on-base percentage among qualified hitters. Only three players beat him in batting average (.313) and only eight in slugging percentage (.541).
Votto may not have hit as many home runs as some of his big-name first basemen, but he was a pitcher’s worst nightmare if the goal was to keep him from reaching base. We’re talking about a hitter so skilled that he didn’t get a first base hit until 2019.
In an era when hitters are more maligned for selling losses for power than for waiting for a walk, Votto already looks like a figure who will cast a long shadow over today’s game.
Those batting prowess add to his status as the Reds’ best player since the turn of the century and the rare player who only plays for one team (despite his best efforts with the Jays). He may not be a member of the inner circle, but the idea of a Hall of Fame without Votto is ridiculous.
Voters are unlikely to let this issue persist after the first round.
