Joey Votto reaches career milestones 300 HR, 1000 RBI, and 2000 Hits in the same year.

I grew up a die-hard Cubs fan. I fell in love with the team, Harry Caray, and WGN broadcasts in 1984 during their magical pennant race that ended at the hands of the Padres with the same chant as all previous seasons since 1908 and what would continue until 2016–Wait Till Next Year. So, it’s fitting that one of my all-time favorite players playing on my new favorite team, the Reds, would reach not one but two carrier milestones against the North Siders.

Yes, that is right, Joey Votto hit his 300th career home run and knocked his 2000th base hit against the lovable and now depleted, imploding Cubs.

When his 300th home run cleared the right-field fence on April 30th, I was in the 2nd row on the third-base line wearing a Cub’s shirt and sporting a Red’s hat. The attendants asked if I was confused, and perhaps they were right. I wanted to root on the remnants of the team that should’ve been a dynasty but feel short in typical Cubs fashion.  Baez, Rizzo, Bryant, Heyward, Contreras, Happ, Bote, and Arrieta all made appearances in the game. I was there to see a great team, but instead, I witnessed the beginning of a career resurgence while the dynasty was collapsing. 

Since that home run, Votto has continued to bang, as the Red’s announcers like to say. For a man who has historically placed more emphasis on getting on base than power, he had a span where he hit nine home runs in 7 straight games, missing the record by one game. As of right now, he has 26 round-trippers with more than a month left in the season, and I imagine he will surpass 30 for the year, a total he hasn’t reached since 2017. His OPS is well over .900, and he’s hitting like the Votto from the early 2010s than the washed-up man, as the pundits proclaim. He’s not only doing it with power; he is also getting on base. 

Just this last Monday, Votto stood at first base and tipped his helmet to the crowd once again after lining a single to centerfield. He did it after getting down two strikes in the count, which the Votto of last year probably would have stuck out. Something he did four times in a single game before being benched. After that game, he has put up some significant, MVP-like numbers, and as a Votto fan, I cannot be happier for the ol’ man!. 

By the way, Votto’s 1000th career RBI came on June 30th via a home run versus the San Diego Padres.

If I have my history correct — feel free to fact-check me — he and Billy Williams are the only players to reach those milestones in the same year, and Votto was nice enough to accomplish them all at home to standing ovations.

So, here’s a HUZZAH to the ol’ man who’s still banging!  I hope he continues to do so for the next few years as he earns his way to the Hall.

Mark Masavage

I am a software designer and content creator at Innis.Fit, where I dedicate myself to combining my expertise in technology with my love for fitness. As a former high school athlete, my journey has taken me from the competitive fields of CrossFit and baseball to a broader mission of inspiring and enabling others to achieve their fitness goals. I also contribute extensively to our platform's content, sharing insights, tips, and personal experiences that resonate with our community. My commitment to fitness is a personal ethos, one that I live out daily, aiming to inspire those around me to embrace a healthier, more active lifestyle.