It’s been quite a month for Joey Votto, who has been the hottest hitter in baseball since the All-Star break, leading the majors in home runs (15), RBI (36) and slugging percentage (.798) during that span. The All-Star first baseman continued his torrid stretch with another monster performance Monday against the Cubs (who are in the midst of a season-worst 12-game losing skid), contributing three singles while raising his career hit total to 2,001.
Votto is the fifth player in club history to achieve that milestone and just the second Red—the other being Hall-of-Fame catcher Johnny Bench—to reach both the 2,000-hit and 300-home-run plateaus. A lifetime .303 hitter across 15 MLB seasons, there’s a case to be made for enshrining Votto in Cooperstown someday.
Given Votto’s impressive staying power, continuing to play at an MVP level more than a decade into his MLB journey, many were surprised it took the 37-year-old this long to amass 2,000 hits, joining a crowded fraternity inhabited by the likes of Mark Grudzielanek, Todd Zeile, A.J. Pierzynski, Ray Durham and his former Reds teammate, Brandon Phillips. While each of those players enjoyed moments of brilliance, including them in the Hall-of-Fame conversation would be a stretch.
Barring a Tom Brady-esque deal with the devil, ducking Father Time by staying relevant into his mid-40s, Votto is unlikely to reach 3,000 hits, or even come particularly close. However, that shouldn’t diminish his accomplishments. As noted by ESPN’s Bomani Jones, four of the greatest sluggers in MLB history—Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Frank Thomas—also fell short of 3,000. That’s because, much like Votto, all had exceptional plate discipline with Bonds, Ruth and Williams ranking first, third and fourth respectively in career walks (Thomas is 10th on that list with 1,667 free passes). Among active big-leaguers, only Albert Pujols (1,342) has walked more than Votto (1,264).
Votto, also one of the sport’s biggest characters, isn’t sure what he’ll do with the baseball from his 2,000th career hit, though hopefully he’ll treat it better than his last keepsake, which the Reds veteran said was devoured by his late dog Maris (presumably named after Yankees great Roger Maris). Former Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, whose Frenchie “Boss” famously destroyed the ball from the final out of the 2007 World Series, can probably relate.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign Up and Follow Audacy Sports
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram