All last week, as Votto chased history, his teammates praised his performances, which did indeed lead to his first National League Player of the Week Award since 2018 and also the Player of the Month Award. Here’s a rundown of what three other Reds said about Votto during the streak, which ended Saturday when he hit line drive six inches short of the top of the wall at Citi Field in New York City.
Jonathan India: “It’s amazing. He’s going to be a hall of famer. He is a hall of famer in my eyes. What he’s doing right now is special. It’s special to watch. It’s later in his career, and he’s doing this. He’s trying to get a MVP season. It’s beautiful for me to watch firsthand, and he’s helped me a lot with my season, so I give him credit for that.”
Tucker Barnhart: “It’s crazy. I’ve seen some pretty good Joey Votto streaks or stretches. For me personally, 2015 or 2016 comes to mind. The second half he had was just incredible. Obviously, 2017 when he finished second in the MVP, that whole thing was crazy. But this whole stretch he’s on now, I’ve not seen it like this, where he’s basically calling his shot. It’s amazing to me just to watch him continue to get better. I’ve been around him for eight years now, and he just continues to get better. Fifteen years in the big leagues, and the guy just keeps going. His aspirations to be great and continue to get better, they’re crazy to me. It has to be easy for a guy in his situation who has done so many things and been so successful to ease off the gas, and he’s done the complete opposite. It’s been a pleasure to watch. Joey’s one of my favorite teammates, and I’m lucky to play with him.”
Kyle Farmer: “I’ve never seen anything like it. We’re in the dugout just kind of shaking our head. It’s incredible. The way he’s embracing it is really cool, too. He’s having fun. I give credit to our team and our locker room for just embracing everything he’s done and just lifting him up and putting him in the place where he is. Joey came up to me before the year and said, ‘You’ve never seen me when I’ve been really good, have you?’ I’ve been here since 2019. I said, ‘You’re really good. I used to watch you all the time when I was 10.’ I’m kidding. He was like, ‘Well, I’m going to be really good this year. I want to win MVP.’ I was like, ‘Let’s do this.’”
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