Like me, you may have already decided Reds first baseman Joey Votto is a lock for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. However, before this season, Votto’s Cooperstown status apparently was more questionable than Reds fans might have thought. His statistics are impressive, but when compared to an average Hall of Fame first baseman, they are on the low end of the measuring stick.
In 15 total seasons, Votto has six All-Star appearances, one MVP award, and one near-MVP award. Votto’s career slash line is currently .303/.417/.519 and his career OPS sits at .936. He’s been in the top 10 for on-base percentage and OPS in nine different seasons and the top 10 for batting average and slugging percentage in eight different seasons.