Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto finished the second half of the season posting a .408 batting average, becoming the first player with at least 200 plate appearances to hit over .400 after the All-Star break since Ichiro Suzuki in 2004, per MLB Stat of the Day.
Votto's .252/.386/.446 batting line prior to the All-Star break put him in position for the worst season of his career, but a hot second half pushed his season average to .326, well above his career .313 mark.
Despite a horrendous 68-94 record for the Reds this season, Votto managed to drive in the third-most runs (97 RBI) in his career and tied for the second-most home runs (29) he's collected in a campaign.
Votto remains under contract with Cincinnati through 2024, which will put him in his age-41 season. The contract was the richest in franchise history for the Reds, and he's proved himself worth it early on. With eight years remaining on the deal, it's still tough to speculate how well Votto will be playing toward the end of the 10-year contract.
The biggest drawback of age sometimes arrives in the field, but even a slight decline for Votto would keep him at a respectable level of defense for the first base position.
Votto also has one of MLB's best eyes at the plate, having led the majors in walks four times while posting the highest on-base percentage five times (including in 2016). Likely one of the most unheralded hitters in baseball, he could find himself in Cooperstown one day should he avoid a dramatic drop in play.
The youth movement may have begun in Cincinnati with the shipping of Johnny Cueto to the Royals last season and Jay Bruce to the Mets in 2016, but Votto figures to be a mainstay in the lineup for years to come.
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