Joey Votto is calling it a career after 17 seasons in the MLB.
The longtime Cincinnati Reds first baseman announced his retirement Wednesday via Instagram, posting a video in which he said, “That’s it. I’m done. I’m officially retired from baseball.”
The announcement officially closes the book on a player who will go down as one of the greatest hitters of a generation with six All-Star awards and an MVP award.
Votto began his career as a second-round pick for the Reds in the 2002 MLB Draft. It took him a few years to become a top prospect, but he found his footing in the minors in 2006 and made his MLB debut in 2007.
From the start, Votto was a lethal combination of patience and contact at the plate. He was the runner-up for the 2008 MLB Rookie of the Year Award and later won the MVP in 2010. After that, he was a pitcher’s worst nightmare, posting the best on-base percentage in seven of nine seasons in the NL.
The Reds won back-to-back division titles during that span, but it also saw them slump to the bottom of the NL Central. All told, Votto was with the team on a deal that lasted more than a decade, with his tenure in Cincinnati ending after 2023 when he became a free agent. Injuries hit him hard in his last few years with the team.
Signing a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, Votto tried to get his career going with Homecoming. However, as she put it in her lengthy Instagram caption, she appeared to be “not feeling well anymore.” He struggled in the Jays organization and never reached the majors with the team.
Votto is a bowler.
But I can’t stop thinking about the singular energy he possessed: funny, insightful, passionate, honest.
A kind soul, a rare bird, he left baseball better than he entered it and entertained us along the way.
What a legacy, what a flow.
— Cespedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) August 21, 2024
Joey Votto’s Hall of Fame Chances
Votto has had his detractors throughout his career, but it’s hard to see voters keeping him from entering Cooperstown when he becomes eligible in 2029.
You can question the value of drawing walks — Votto is one of the best in MLB history — but it’s hard to think of a better hitter in his first decade in the league. From 2007 to 2017, only Barry Bonds surpassed Votto in on-base percentage (.428) among qualified hitters. Only three players beat him in batting average (.313) and eight in slugging percentage (.541).
Votto may not have piled up as many home runs as his fellow greats at first base, but he was a pitcher’s worst nightmare if the goal was to prevent reaching base. We’re talking about a hitter so talented that he didn’t pop out to first baseman until 2019.
In an age when hitters are more vilified for selling out for power than waiting for a walk, Votto already feels like a figure who casts a long shadow over today’s game.
That offensive prowess is in addition to his status as the best Reds player since the turn of the century and a rare one-team player (despite his best efforts with the Jays). He may not be an insider, but the idea of ​​a Hall of Fame without Votto is ludicrous.
Voters won’t let that become an issue after the first ballot.
