It is easy to question Joey Votto’s future. The longtime Cincinnati Reds star is in the midst of the worst stretch of his career, his monumental struggles generating a great deal of attention. While he has been calling out the Reds’ for their pathetic performance as a team, he has not done much to help change anything.
At this point, it has become fair to wonder if Votto has anything left. His Statcast numbers are down across the board, leading to the question of whether or not we are watching his career come to an end.
Joey Votto still believes he will turn it around for Cincinnati Reds
Votto is hearing the whispers as well, especially as they are getting louder. He is starting to address those rumors of his demise, essentially reminding people that it is still early in the season and to enjoy the show once his bat heats up.
He does have the type of track record to inspire confidence. A six time All Star and the 2010 NL MVP, Votto has been a legendary figure for the Reds. Votto also had an impressive showing last year, changing his approach to hit for more power while he seemed to resurrect his career.
But at some point, even the greats fade away. That appears to be the case with Votto right now. He has a miserable .122/.278/.135 batting line in his 90 plate appearances, striking out 29 times with a lone double as his only extra base hit. It is difficult to see where there would be any reason for hope.
Yet hope remains for Votto. That could be a false bravado from a player who cannot see that the end is nigh and will be dragged kicking and screaming into retirement. Or, it could be that Votto sees that he is close, that his swing is starting to come back to form and his slow start could be explained by a shortened spring training that did not allow him to fully get ready. As Votto said, there are five months to go.
Joey Votto believes that he will turn his season around. Even if the Cincinnati Reds are hoping to tank this season, they still need their star to produce.