One of the Greatest Cincinnati Reds of All Time Has Retired

On September 4, 2007, at 23 years and 359 days old, Joey Votto made his MLB debut. Even some of the most optimistic projections could not see what would become of Votto, the Reds second-round selection (as a catcher) in the 2002 MLB Draft.

On Wednesday, August 21, 2023, Votto posted a short video (with a long caption) on Instagram announcing that his 17-year MLB career had officially come to an end.

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Votto was, without a doubt, the greatest Reds player of a generation. He gave the city of Cincinnati years on years of elite play, great fan interaction, and memories that will last lifetimes.

Stories will be told to grandchildren about how we got to see Votto in person when he was one of the best in baseball or when he would troll opposing fanbases.

A legendary career has come to an end.

In the storied history of the Cincinnati Reds, Votto was one of the best.

Here's how he stacks up among the Reds greats:

• bWAR: 64.5 (fourth)
• Offensive bWAR (fourth)
• On-Base Percentage: .409 (second)
• Slugging: .511 (sixth)
• OPS: .920 (second)
• Games played: 2,056 (sixth)
• At-Bats: 7,252 (sixth)
• Plate Appearances: 8,746 (fifth)
• Hits: 2,135 (fifth)
• Total bases: 3,706 (second)
• Doubles: 459 (second)
• Home Runs: 356 (second)
• RBI: 1,144 (third)
• Walks: 1,365 (first)
• OPS+: 144 (fourth)
• Runs Created: 1,600 (second)
• Adjusted Batting Runs: 521 (first)
• Adjusted Batting Wins: 50.5 (first)
• Extra-Base Hits: 837 (second)
• Times on Base (3,581 (second)
• Offensive Win Percentage: .732 (fourth)
• Intentional Walks: 147 (first)

For each stat where he is not first, he's behind a Hall of Famer...and/or Pete Rose .

He was not just elite in terms of the Reds. Votto led MLB in:

• Games Played: 2013, 2017 (played all 162)
• Plate Appearances: 2017
• Doubles: 2011
• Walks: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017
• On-Base Percentage: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2018
• Slugging: 2010
• OPS: 2010, 2017
• OPS+: 2016
• Intentional Walks: 2012, 2013, 2017

He earned All-Star bids six times (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018).

He finished second to Geovany Soto for 2008 NL Rookie of the Year.

Votto was the 2010 NL MVP and received votes in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2021. He actually tied Giancarlo Stanton with 10 first-place MVP votes in 2017 but lost by just two points.

He won a Gold Glove in 2011.

His career OPS is .920 and 53rd all-time. His 1,365 walks are 34th all-time.

Joey Votto is a Hall of Famer.

What can't be quantified by stats is Votto's impact on the team and the city of Cincinnati. He was the favorite player of at least one generation of baseball fans. There are fans who don't remember a Reds team without Votto lining up at first base.

For a franchise as old and as storied as the Cincinnati Reds, Votto has a legitimate case to be on the franchise Mount Rushmore.

For this author, he's up there.

Thank you, Joey.