Joey Votto Bio: Net Worth, Wedding & Contract [2023 Update]

Joey Votto is a professional baseball player from Canada who plays in Major League Baseball (MLB). Furthermore, he plays for the Cincinnati Reds as a first baseman.

The Reds drafted him straight out of high school in the second round of the 2002 MLB Draft as the 44th pick overall. Initially, he played in the minor league with Cincinnati’s affiliate Dayton Dragons. 

After performing well, the baseballer was promoted to the Potomac Cannons. He improved his game even more with the Cannons and had one of his best minor-league seasons in 2006. 

Moreover, he worked on his batting average with the Chattanooga Lookouts. Not to mention, the athlete was selected in the 2006 All-Star Futures Game.

Likewise, Votto was named the Mid-Season Southern League All-Star team and the Post-Season Southern League All-Star team. Similarly, the popular sports magazine Baseball America voted him the minor league all-star. 

Furthermore, the MLB player was also the recipient of the Southern League Most Valuable Player Award. Following the 2006 season, he started playing in the Major Leagues for the Cincinnati Reds.

As of now, Joey has earned six MLB All-Star selections. He is also the winner of the 2011 Gold Glove Award.

Here are some quick facts about him before getting into details about the MLB player’s life and career. 

Quick Facts

Joey Votto | Early Life, Family, and Education

Joey Votto was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His parents are Joseph Votto and Wendy Votto. 

Joseph was a chef, while Wendy was a restaurant manager and sommelier. Furthermore, his father was of Italian descent as well as of English descent. 

The baseballer grew up in a loving environment with supportive parents. Joey was the biggest baseball fan and loved to teach his children about the sport. 

Moreover, he was the first one to introduce baseball to Joey. Not to mention, the father also taught him how to play. 

Likewise, Joseph Sr. would be at every one of his son’s games and was his biggest cheerleader. Similarly, the father-son duo would play catch every day.

Joesph did everything to help his son improve his baseball skills. However, the Red’s first baseman believes that his father had more faith in his dreams than in himself.

It is safe to say that Joseph’s love for baseball rubbed off on his children and one of them decided to have a career in it. With the grace of hard work and discipline, Joey’s reputation preceded him, and he was well-known for his skills. 

Joseph was a great father to his children and was his biggest fan of Joey. Hence, he was over the moon when his son pursued baseball professionally and was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds. 

Father’s Death

However, Joseph Sr. sadly passed away on August 9, 2008, heavily impacting Joey’s mental health. As per MLB rules, he took a week off to be with his mother and his three brothers Tyler, Paul, and Ryan. 

But, the week wasn’t enough for the MLB player to get over his father’s death. Although his game did not suffer, he was mentally and emotionally shattered. 

There were two different instances where he had panic attacks so bad that it landed him in the hospital. After consulting some doctors, they diagnosed him with depression.

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Votto said,

“I had my spurts here and there where I would play well, but going out on the field, I just couldn’t do it anymore because I was so worn down physically. The stuff I was dealing with off the field finally seeped its way into the game, and I just couldn’t get out there.

It’s difficult to explain what it’s like to go through it. If you’ve gone through it, anxiety or panic attacks, being depressed, I couldn’t do my job.”

The baseballer’s father was a crucial figure in his life, and his absence left a void in his life.

However, seeking help and taking some time off to treat depression and anxiety helped the athlete get better and onto the field then. Furthermore, he encourages his fans to break the stigma surrounding mental health and uses his platform to raise awareness. 

Education 

Joey studied at Richview Collegiate Institute, where he also played high school baseball. He was exceptional and quickly received much attention for his baseball skills. 

Moreover, the athlete enrolled in the Etobicoke Rangers baseball program. Besides baseball, he also played high school basketball and scored 37 points in a game. 

Furthermore, he also played hockey and hence was a very athletic kid. Votto signed a National Letter of Intent to play collegiate baseball for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers after his high school graduation.