Joey Votto kept his hopes of extending his MLB career alive by signing with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, giving himself the chance to make some fitting history with his new club.
Votto, who was born and raised in Toronto, currently ranks second all-time among Canadian-born MLB players with 2,135 career hits. As noted by MLB Network insider Jon Morosi, Votto is only 25 hits away from breaking longtime Colorado Rockies right fielder Larry Walker's record of 2,160.
Votto was a six-time All-Star and one-time NL MVP across his 17 seasons with the Cincinnati Reds. He has also represented Team Canada at the World Baseball Classic.
The 40-year-old first baseman was a .311 hitter between 2007 and 2018, but his average has dipped to .240 over the last five years. In 2023 alone, Votto hit a career-low .202.
Still, Votto recorded 42 hits in 65 games last season. Should he perform well down the stretch in Spring Training and convert his minor league deal into an Opening Day roster spot, Votto's dwindling production might not prevent him from making history.
Votto already has a Hall of Fame resume as it is, so he is on a path to join Walker in Cooperstown regardless. In doing so, Votto would become the third Canadian to make it into the Hall of Fame, next to Walker and Fergie Jenkins.
Looking beyond Canada's all-time leaderboards, Votto leads all active MLB players in career hits. Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman is just 21 hits behind him, though, so Votto is unlikely to hold onto that claim for much longer.
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