Joey Votto working with Reds top prospect will have fans dreaming big

When it comes to elite plate discipline and contact skills, the first name that comes to mind for Cincinnati Reds fans (and should come to mind for baseball fans at large) is Joey Votto.

From 2009 through 2017, Votto hit over .300 in eight years of that ine-year span and led the National League in on-base percentage six times in that span. Shockingly, he never won a Silver Slugger despite his extreme heights.

Now Votto is passing on his knowledge to the next generation, and one of his main pupils is a youngster most in need of his tutelage. Votto lives near Daytona and has been stopping by a couple of times a week to help the young players, paying special attention to Reds top prospect, Tyson Lewis. The young infielder went on an 11-for-22 tear since the two started working together.

Joey Votto is a perfect mentor for Reds prospect Tyson Lewis

The 20-year-old is an impressive physical specimen with big-time power that produces triple-digit exit velocities regularly and incredible speed. When he makes contact, it is often loud and dangerous.

Making contact consistently is the big question with Lewis, though. His 63% contact rates from last year and this year have drawn ghastly comparisons that threaten his future outlook.

This year, Lewis has shown even greater warning signs than he did last year when he split time between the Arizona Complex League and Daytona. He's posting a 39% chase rate and a 39.5% whiff rate, which rank in the eighth percentile and 21st percentile, respectively. That's led to a 35.5% strikeout rate.

All of those factors have sapped his overall production. The 2024 second-round pick is slashing .252/.314/.366 with two homers over 30 games. Until he firms up his strike zone recognition and contact issues, this will be a constant theme.

That's why Votto is the perfect mentor for him. The 2010 NL MVP knows the strike zone better than anyone and knows how to maximize his bat path to make consistent, solid contact. With that said, Votto also knew how to balance that with letting loose and letting it rip to generate power. Votto eclipsed the 29-homer plateau six times over his career, hitting 36 dingers or more three times.

If he can impart some of his wisdom on Lewis, the sky is the limit for the youngster. He's got infinitely more athleticism than the Reds' legend, meaning if he learns the proper discipline and technique, he will become a menace with potential unlike many.

It's hard to say that a 20-year-old at the beginning of his second professional season is in a make-or-break year, but the gap between his strengths and weaknesses is so great that without some sort of equilibrium, he'll be doomed. Fortunately, there's no better mentor to help him reach that balance than Votto.

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