Joey Votto is mired in an unprecedented slump for him during his 10 years with the Cincinnati Reds. After the team’s first 15 games, Votto is hitting a measly .182.
Votto has never started a season this badly. Only twice has Votto batted under .300 in his team’s first 15 games of the season. He was hitting .269 after 15 games in 2012 and .273 in 2013.
Last year Votto came out of the gate hot, hitting .386 in the Reds’ first 15 games. He had six homers with 14 RBI during that span last year. This year Votto has one home run and seven RBI after 15 games.
The good news for the Reds is that the team is off to an 8-7 start despite Votto. The Reds also started 8-7 last year before eventually imploding to a 98-loss season.
So Votto alone isn’t the determining factor as to how well the Reds play as a team. The 32-year-old former NL MVP might be under more scrutiny and pressure than his teammates because he is a lifetime .309 hitter who is playing under a $225-million guaranteed contract.
Votto is hardly immune from slumps. During a 31-game span last year from April 23 through May 29, he hit just .219 with a .305 on-base percentage in 128 plate appearances. Votto managed to right himself well enough for the rest of the season to finish third in NL MVP voting last year.
Still, the fact that Votto is under the Mendoza Line has to have his wheels spinning. He was 0-for-11 with five strikeouts in the Reds’ three-game series with the Colorado Rockies that ended Wednesday afternoon.
Votto and the Reds will get the Chicago Cubs next for a four-game homestand. His slump might not end against the top three scheduled starters of the Cubs’ rotation in Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester and John Lackey. Votto is a combined 9-for-34 with two homers, six RBI and 10 whiffs against the trio.
The Reds have shown that they can win without Votto hitting at high level, but they would undoubtedly like to see him show more of his old self against the top team in the NL Central.
Robb Hoff writes about the Cincinnati Reds for OutsidePitch MLB. You can follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
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