Cincinnati Reds: Five players looking to bounce back in the 2020 season

2. Joey Votto, First baseman

Every Reds fan’s favorite punching bag over the past two seasons has been first baseman Joey Votto. Votto has fallen short of the lofty standards that fans have for the six-time All-Star, but he’s also fallen short of the exceedingly high expectations the former MVP has for himself. Votto doesn’t have to be great in order for this team to win, but he has to be better.

The days of Joey Votto hitting 30-plus home runs and 100-plus RBIs are over folks. Give it up. Yes, I’m aware of his gigantic salary over the next four years, but let’s not pretend like Votto is just showing up to collect a check. The 36-year-old is as professional as they come. Also, he’s not going to be traded, so let’s get that idea out of the way as well, okay?

Now, let’s address the issue at hand. No, Votto is highly unlikely to ever see the same type of success we saw from 2010-2017, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t be a productive major league player. But, in order to do that, Votto has to do what he does best, which is get on base.

For those fans looking for Joey Votto to drop to No. 6 in the Reds batting order, don’t hold your breath. The 13-year veteran still put up a respectable .357 on-base percentage in 2019, just one point below the team-leader, Eugenio Suárez.

I fully expect Votto to be in the No. 2 hole on Opening Day, but he has to be more productive that he was last year. Not from a power perspective, as the likes of Suárez, Mike Moustakas and Nick Castellanos can handle that. But, he needs to draw walks and make contact to either advance the leadoff hitter or get on base himself. Votto needs to finish 2020 with an OBP above .400.