Cincinnati Reds’ Joey Votto may miss out on Hall of Fame

Cincinnati Reds’ first baseman Joey Votto may end up the best player not to make the Hall of Fame, while eligible.

Looking MLB right now, the Cincinnati Reds’ first baseman Joey Votto is the second best player behind only Los Angeles Angels’ center fielder, Mike Trout.  The presence of Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks makes both Votto and Goldschmidt look more normal.  Trout used to have the same issue with Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, but injuries separated the duo the last two years.

That doesn’t mean he is going to make the Hall of Fame, though.  Votto is a multiple time All-Star and a one time MVP, but his secondary numbers are not Hall of Fame level.  It doesn’t look like he is going to get to 500 home runs or 3,000 hits.

Votto is on pace for about 2,700 hits and about 450 home runs, assuming he stays relatively healthy.  He should also get to about 1,700 walks.  That means that he is chasing Jim Thome for the most walks without making the Hall of Fame.

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Ironically enough, he is on pace to end up with the same number of hits as former Reds’ center fielder Vada Pinson.  Pinson was viewed as one of the best center fielders in the National League when he played.  He was the last of the great center fielders to roam the grass at Crosley Field.  Then the Reds moved to Riverfront Stadium.

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Joey Votto has more to worry about his time with the Cincinnati Reds, but also with what other hitters have done.

The two Hall of Famers that Votto will remind people of are Chick Hafey and Hack Wilson.  Both Hafey and Wilson were outfielders.  Both also played before television and night games played a major role in baseball.

Hafey was a .317 career batter that played for the Reds from 1932 to 1937.  He played his best baseball for the Saint Louis Cardinals prior to that.

Hafey was an All-Star for the Reds in 1933.  He led the NL in slugging in 1927 and in batting average in 1931, both while with the Cardinals.

Wilson, meanwhile, is one of the legendary center fielders of all-time, known particularly for his time with the Chicago Cubs.  He never won an MVP or played in an All-Star game.  However, his 1930 season is considered one of the best seasons in MLB history.

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Votto, though, is a player in a much more offensive era.  He has led the NL in runs created three times in his career and can carry a team.  That makes him a Hall of Famer to me, but maybe not to everyone else.