Joey Votto finishes 7th in NL MVP voting, no. 1 in our hearts, minds

The ballots have been collected and tallied. The result of this vote, unlike the big one taken last week, isn’t much of a surprise. Cubs phenom and 2015 NL Rookie of the Year Kris Bryant has been named the National League Most Valuable Player for 2016.

In what was somewhat of a shocker (in that I didn’t have faith in the BBWAA to do the right thing), Mike Trout won the AL MVP. This is his 2nd (and should be his, what? Fifth?). He’s the fifth position player in history to win two MVPs before the age of 25. Twenty-five years of age. Tell me, what’ve you done today?

All of that doesn’t really concern us here at Red Reporter. The real news of the evening is that a certain Reds 1B with the well-fitting jersey and a jawline chiseled out of stone also appeared on many ballots. Enough ballots, in fact, that Joseph Daniel Votto managed a seventh place finish when it was all said and done.

You can see the full results here, but Joey finished with 100 total points; 29 points behind sixth place finisher Freddie Freeman but 65 points ahead of Yoenis Cespedes in eight. In total, Votto was named somewhere on 28 of the ballots, one of them as high as fifth.

“But Derek, there are 30 total ballots. How in the world did Joey get left off all together on two ballots?” you might ask. Good question, inquiring baseball fan!

Tracy Ringolsby, on the Colorado Rockies beat for MLB.com, couldn’t find one of the 10 spots for Votto, despite him raking like the second coming of Ted Williams after the All Star Break. Ringolsby, sportswriter and Cowboy hat aficionado, did manage to save his eighth place vote for saves leader and alleged domestic abuser Juerys Familia, however. Familia, according to Fangraphs, wasn’t even the most valuable relief pitcher on his own team, and that’s before you even consider that Noah Syndergaard also plays on that team.

Priorities, people!

Bill Plunkett of something called a “Southern California News Group” also omitted Votto from his ballot, but I can’t find anything on there so egregious to point to, even though I really wanted to point to Jean Segura being 10th. However, Jean Segura was actually really good at baseball this year! Who knew?

All in all, it’s a pretty good showing for Joey, who as late as June 1, 2016 was staring right in the face of the worst full, healthy season of his career. Votto has now finished in the top 10 in MVP voting five times in his career, obviously counting the 2010 season when he won the whole gosh darn thing.

Congratulations, Joseph. May you stay a Red forever and ever.

Speaking of staying a Red forever and ever:

Oh.