Joey Votto, who had been on a minor league contract with the Blue Jays, introduced on Instagram that he has retired. The 2010 NL MVP didn’t get to the majors along with his hometown crew however performed an illustrious 17-year profession with the Reds.
Votto supplied a prolonged assertion alongside a quick video of him departing Sahlen Discipline, 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 in a position to make it to the massive 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 in a position to be my greatest self. I performed this sport with each final ounce of my physique, coronary heart, and thoughts. Thanks for every little thing,” he concluded.
The Reds drafted Votto out of a Toronto prep faculty in 2002. He’d emerged as one in all 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 operating in 24 video games and would break by as their on a regular basis first baseman the next yr.
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 yr two, hitting .322/.414/.567 with 25 longballs and 38 doubles. He completed within the high 10 amongst certified hitters in all three slash stats.
That kicked off an almost decade-long run by which Votto was among the many recreation’s greatest gamers. He had arguably his greatest season in 2010. Votto led the majors with .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 charge stats alike that nabbed him a moderately convincing win over Albert Pujols and Carlos González in NL MVP balloting. Votto was the most effective participant on a Cincinnati crew that gained 91 video games and an NL Central title.
It was the primary of 4 straight seasons by which Votto topped the NL in on-base proportion. He led the league in walks yearly from 2011-13. His terribly affected person strategy and infrequently made him a goal of criticism amongst some followers who most popular he have been extra aggressive, however Votto additionally stuffed a prototypical run producer function. He ranked twentieth within the majors between 2010-13 in RBI and twenty first in homers. 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 Sequence.
Halfway by 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 most important funding within the group’s historical past. Whereas the crew didn’t have a ton of success over the last decade, that’s not any fault of their first baseman’s. Votto remained an impression hitter till the tail finish of the contract.
A quad damage worn out the majority of Votto’s 2014 marketing campaign. He returned at full energy the next yr, hitting .314/.459/.541 to snag a third-place MVP end. Votto 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.
Extra to return.