Joey Votto's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Joey Votto.

Joey Votto is a retired Canadian-American professional baseball player who played his entire 17-year MLB career with the Cincinnati Reds. A six-time All-Star and 2010 NL MVP, Votto is celebrated for his exceptional plate discipline, high on-base percentage, and power hitting. He reached milestones such as 2,000 hits, 300 home runs, and 1,000 RBIs, making him only the second Canadian to achieve this. Votto earned multiple Tip O'Neill Awards and Lou Marsh Trophies, recognizing him as Canada's top athlete. He ranks high among active players in walks and on-base percentage, solidifying his place as one of the Reds' all-time greats.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1932: Waner's Doubles Record

In 1932, Paul Waner of the Pittsburgh Pirates achieved a feat of hitting 10 doubles in a five-game span, a record that stood until Joey Votto matched it in 2009.

1948: Ted Williams' Record

In 2017, Joey Votto had a streak of consecutive games reaching base multiple times, which spanned 20 games and was the second longest in major league history behind Ted Williams' 1948 record of 21.

1956: Frank Robinson's RBI Record

In 1956, Frank Robinson set the Cincinnati Reds' record for the most runs batted in (RBI) by a rookie in a season with 83 RBI. This record was later broken by Joey Votto in 2008.

1975: Reds Player Start All Games

Joey Votto became the first Reds player since Pete Rose in 1975 to start all 162 regular season games in a season and just the fourth player in franchise history to do so.

1978: Tied Reds Record

In 2015, Joey Votto tied a Reds record that was set by Pete Rose in 1978, when he got on base for his 48th straight game.

1985: Parker's RBI Record

In 1985, Dave Parker achieved a milestone by driving in 100 runs in a season. He would repeat it in 1986.

1986: Parker's RBI Record

In 1986, Dave Parker achieved a milestone by driving in 100 runs in a season. It was his second year in a row.

1995: Larkin Wins MVP

In 1995, Barry Larkin won the MVP award, marking the last time a Reds player had won the award before Joey Votto in 2010.

2003: Won Pioneer League championship

In 2003, Joey Votto started with the Dayton Dragons but was demoted to the Billings Mustangs, where he won the Pioneer League championship, hitting .317 with a .969 OPS.

2004: MLB Feat Since Ichiro Suzuki

After hitting a season-low .213 on May 31, Joey Votto became the first player in MLB since Ichiro Suzuki in 2004 to hit .400 after the All-Star break. He had a .408/.490/.668 in the second half of the 2016 season.

2006: Southern League MVP

In 2006, Joey Votto had a standout season with the Chattanooga Lookouts, leading the Southern League in batting average and total bases. He was named the Southern League's Most Valuable Player and a minor league all-star by Baseball America. He played in the All-Star Futures Game.

2008: Runner-up NL Rookie of the Year

In 2008, Joey Votto finished second in National League Rookie of the Year voting to Geovany Soto. He set a new Reds' record for most RBI by a rookie with 84, surpassing Frank Robinson's 1956 record. He also led all NL rookies in hitting, hits, home runs, total bases, multi-hit games, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.

2009: Named NL Player of the Week

In 2009, Joey Votto was named the NL Player of the Week for September 21–27 after hitting 10 doubles in a five-game span, a feat not accomplished in 77 years. Despite missing 31 games, he was among the league leaders in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.

August 30, 2010: Sports Illustrated Cover

On August 30, 2010, Joey Votto was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine, recognizing his achievements and impact in baseball.

2010: Most Valuable Player Season

In 2010, Joey Votto had his Most Valuable Player award season.

2010: Awarded MVP and Hank Aaron Award

In 2010, Joey Votto won the Hank Aaron Award and the National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, becoming the first Reds player to win the MVP award since Barry Larkin in 1995. He expressed that the award would have meant a great deal to his late father.

2010: National League MVP

In 2010, Joey Votto won the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player Award and the Hank Aaron Award, solidifying his status as one of baseball's top players.

2012: All-Star Game Starter

In 2012, Joey Votto was selected by the fans as a National League team starter in the MLB All-Star Game. At the time of his selection, he was hitting .350 with 14 home runs and 47 RBIs.

2013: All-Star Game Appearance

In July 2013, Joey Votto was voted as a starter for the 2013 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, marking his fourth All-Star appearance. However, he went 0-for-2 in the game, making him a career 0-for-9 in All-Star Games.

2015: Multiple Home Run Game and Ejections

In 2015, Joey Votto had a notable season, including hitting three home runs in a game against the Philadelphia Phillies on June 9, marking the third time he achieved this feat in his career. He also faced ejections during the season, including one on August 2 following a bench-clearing brawl against the Pirates, and another on September 9 for arguing balls and strikes. On September 11, MLB suspended Votto for two games, with an option to appeal. By October 2, Votto tied a Reds record with Pete Rose. He ended the season with an MLB-leading 143 walks, a .314 batting average, 29 home runs, and 80 RBI.

2017: All-Star Appearance and Donkey Promise

In 2017, Joey Votto had a strong first half of the season, earning his fifth career All-Star appearance. He famously promised to buy teammate Zack Cozart a donkey if Cozart made the All-Star Game, which he fulfilled by buying Cozart a donkey named Donald. Votto also had a streak of consecutive games reaching base multiple times, spanning 20 games, the second longest in major league history.

2018: All-Star Game Selection

Joey Votto was named to the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. For the season, he batted .284, had an on-base percentage of .417 and a slugging average of .419. He led the National League in on-base percentage for the third year in a row and for the final time in his career. He swung at only 16.4% of pitches outside the strike zone (the lowest percentage in the majors).

July 2021: NL Player of the Month

In July 2021, Joey Votto was named the NL Player of the Month. On July 30, in a game against the New York Mets, Votto hit a home run, which marked his seventh straight game with a home run alongside setting a club record for most games with a home run.

August 14, 2022: Most Games by Canadian-born Player

On August 14, 2022, Joey Votto played in his 1,989th career game, passing Larry Walker for the most major league games played by a Canadian-born player.

September 2023: Love for Baseball

In September 2023, Joey Votto expressed that it was the first time in his career he realized he loved baseball, after years of expanding his life off the field.