The baseball world knows Joey Votto is a sensational hitter, but this statistic about his lack of pop-ups to certain positions truly is a remarkable feat.
According to Ryan M. Spaeder of The Best Baseball Podcast, Votto has never popped out to the pitcher, catcher or first baseman throughout his 11-plus-year career.
#Reds Joey Votto has 6,563 career plate appearances.
He has never popped out to the catcher, pitcher, or first basemen.
— Ryan M. Spaeder (@theaceofspaeder) July 20, 2018
That legitimately led to an eye-popping stare from this writer.
Sure, Votto is a six-time All-Star and career .312 hitter. To have 6,563 plate appearances and never record any of a P1, P2 or P3, though?! That’s flat-out other-worldly.
Votto is a left-handed batter, so yes, most of his pop-ups should head toward shortstop or third base. And yes, he’s probably been saved by an infielder calling off the pitcher once in a while.
But the stat is an enormous testament to the Votto’s special ability at the plate.