You might not know this, but Cincinnati Reds legend and recent Toronto Blue Jays signee Joey Votto is actually Canadian.
Well, maybe you knew that.
Did you know he is close to becoming the Canadian-born record holder for most hits in the history of MLB?
Well, he is, but it depends on whether he makes the Blue Jays out of camp or not.
Toronto decided, on Friday, to give the future Hall of Fame candidate a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training.
It will be up to him to win a spot and show he can still mash.
If he gets some MLB time and collects 26 more hits, he will be making history according to MLB insider Jon Morosi.
“Joey Votto ranks 2nd among Canadian-born @MLB players with 2,135 hits. He’s only 25 hits behind Hall of Famer Larry Walker. He could break the record in a @BlueJays uniform,” Morosi tweeted.
Joey Votto ranks 2nd among Canadian-born @MLB players with 2,135 hits.
He's only 25 hits behind Hall of Famer Larry Walker.
He could break the record in a @BlueJays uniform.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) March 8, 2024
Whatever happens, Votto can say he has had an amazing career.
2,135 hits is definitely nothing to sneeze at, and the same can be said about the 356 home runs he has accumulated or the .920 career OPS.
His 459 doubles and .409 OPS are also elite numbers.
For years, he has been an offensive machine.
After declining from 2018 to 2020, he made adjustments and hit 36 homers in 2021.
Injuries ruined his 2022 and part of his 2023, but he still managed to post a more than respectable .747 OPS last year and 14 home runs in limited action.
If he is in shape, he could prove to be a valuable pickup by the Jays.
NEXT: Blue Jays Manager Shares Praise For Joey Votto