Is Joey Votto a Hall of Famer? Statistics from his 17-year baseball career

When Joey Votto announced his retirement on Wednesday, he raised a question that will not be answered for five years.

Is the longtime Cincinnati Reds first baseman a Hall of Famer?

The 2010 NL MVP finished his 17-year career with a .294 average, .409 OBP and .920 OPS and was one of the most respected players in the game.

Votto made his major league debut in 2007, following the “steroid era,” and was a different type of hitter than the hard-hitting first basemen of the generation before him. A Gold Glove winner, Votto hit 30-plus home runs only three times in his career (2010, 2017, 2021), but was one of the hardest hitters in baseball, leading the NL in on-base percentage seven times during a nine-year stretch from 2010 to 2018.

Votto attempted a comeback with his hometown Toronto Blue Jays this season, but struggled with injuries and poor performance after signing a minor league contract before eventually announcing the end of his career.

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Here's a look at Votto's Hall of Fame case:

The Joey Votto case

Among players with 7,000 career batting appearances, Votto's on-base percentage of .409 is the ninth-best of the integration era (since 1947), behind six Hall of Famers, Barry Bonds and Manny Ramirez. Of the top 15 (including Votto) on this list, 11 are in the Hall of Fame.

While Votto's home run numbers weren't stellar every year, his slugging percentage usually ranked in the top 10, including an NL-best .600 in his 2010 MVP season.

Since 2008, Votto ranks first among all batters in walks (1,360), sixth in hits (2,108) and fifth in games played (2,032).

The case against Joey Votto

Votto's underwhelming hitting statistics will be used against him when he first appears on the Hall of Fame ballot in 2029. His home run total (356) will give voters pause, especially considering Votto spent his entire career in one of the most hitter-friendly stadiums in the Major Leagues.

Another accusation against Votto was that he walked “too much” and would have been better off swinging the bat more often. Votto's former manager Dusty Baker once said, “The on-base percentage is good. But RBIs are better.”

In his 17 seasons, Votto only reached 80+ RBIs eight times—a surprise given his overall hitting ability and his position at the heart of Cincinnati's lineup at Great American Ball Park.

Verdict

Even if he doesn't make it on the first ballot, the chances of Joey Votto being inducted into the Hall of Fame are more good than bad.

Votto, beloved by everyone, is an interesting case as a first baseman who doesn't necessarily have great power numbers. However, the hurdles for induction into the Hall of Fame have apparently dropped in recent years, and players like Todd Helton, Scott Rolen and Joe Mauer have been inducted with less impressive stats than may have been required in the past.

Helton, selected in 2024 on his sixth try, may be the closest modern comparison for Votto. Helton's overall stats were better — not by much — but Votto had a higher WAR (64.5 versus Helton's 61.8), and the longtime Colorado first baseman had a similar drop-off in performance as he got older. When compared to Votto's numbers, Helton's performance early in his career must also be considered in the context of the steroid era.

Is Joey Votto a Hall of Famer? Statistics from his 17-year baseball career

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