Will Joey Votto make the Hall of Fame? Former Reds star announces retirement after 17-year career

Longtime Reds first baseman Joey Votto said goodbye to baseball on Wednesday, announcing his retirement after 17 seasons.

Votto and the Reds parted ways after 2023, but the former MVP still wanted to continue his career and signed a deal with the Blue Jays in March to make that goal possible in his home country. Unfortunately, it didn't work out. Votto missed the start of the season due to injury and simply didn't hit in the minors once he did get back on the field.

On Wednesday, Votto kept his retirement announcement short and sweet, saying, "That's it. I'm done. I am officially retired from baseball," in a video posted to social media. He went into greater detail in the caption, thanking his family, teammates and fans their support. 

Votto's time on the diamond is done. He will be celebrated at Great American Ballpark when the timing is right, but an even larger celebration could be held in Cooperstown a few years down the line.

Here's a first look at Votto's career stats and Hall of Fame chances.

Will Joey Votto make the Hall of Fame?

Votto is expected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, and he stands a strong chance of becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

From a counting stats standpoint, it's fair to have questions about Votto's candidacy. He finished his career with 356 home runs and 2,135 hits, which are both terrific totals but often borderline numbers when it comes to Cooperstown. 

The rest of Votto's profile, however, is what pushes him over the top. Votto was an on-base machine, and the value of getting on base is emphasized now more than it has ever been before. 

Votto led the National League in on-base percentage seven different times, helping propel him to 10 different seasons with an OPS north of .900. His career batting average of .294, which was over .300 until 2022, is well in line with that of Hall of Fame hitters from any era. In the non-steroid era, when hitting was often hard to come by, the numbers Votto put up were consistently among the best in the league.

One key Hall of Fame benchmark is wins above replacement (WAR), with 60 considered an unofficial milestone for a Cooperstown hopeful. It's not an exact science; plenty of players with a sub-60 WAR have made the Hall of Fame, while some north of have fallen short.

Votto has a career 64.5 Baseball-Reference WAR, putting him in a strong position to become a Hall of Famer. Of 22 players with a bWAR between 63.0 and 66.0, 18 are in the Hall of Fame. Of the remaining four, one is Votto and one is Chase Utley, who is still on the ballot but admittedly still faces a long road to election. The remaining two are Reggie Smith, who had fewer hits and home runs than Votto, and Willie Randolph, who made most of his impact defensively and had a career OPS of .724.

Votto will be a Hall of Famer. The more pressing question is whether it will come on the first ballot, and that might partially depend on what the rest of the ballot looks like in 2029. Miguel Cabrera is already guaranteed to be on the ballot in 2029, and Zack Greinke could join him. Still, Votto seems to stand a realistic chance of a quick election to Cooperstown.

When is Joey Votto eligible for the Hall of Fame?

Votto is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2029, meaning he will be on the ballot for the election that takes place in January of that year.

The 2024 season does not count against Votto's Hall of Fame clock because he did not play a major league game. If he appeared in a game with the Blue Jays, he wouldn't have been eligible until 2030. 

Joey Votto stats