Former Cincinnati Reds great Joey Votto appeared on MLB Network’s “MLB Now” with Brian Kenny and Reds Hall of Famer Sean Casey, and Votto talked about the analytics specialist he hired in 2015 to map pitchers’ stuff, umpire tendencies and more in an effort to better control the strike zone.
Votto bounced back from an injury-plagued 2014 season to slash .314/.459/.541 in 2015; .326/.434/.550 in 2016; and .320/.454/578 in 2017.
“In my prime years (2015-17), I hired someone,” Votto said. “This is a bit of a share. I hired someone from one of those analytics sites. And we built a relationship. And before umpire maps and strike-zone maps and before stuff-plus, I created my own. And I knew everything about every umpire. I knew everything about the framing caliber of each catcher. And I would overlay the two on top of one another to establish that night’s strike zone based on left-handed pitching, right-handed pitching, the catcher, the umpire.”
“As far as preparation, that was the way (I competed),” Votto continued. “Because I wasn’t physical relative to a lot of the guys in the league. But I was able to execute in terms of decision-making.”
Votto assessed Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani’s struggles as a batter during a May appearance on MLB Network’s “MLB Now,” and wasn’t overly concerned at all.
In March, Votto gave the Reds the gift of a clock that stands on Crosley Terrace, just outside the main entrance of Great American Ball Park.
Votto appeared on “The Jim Day Podcast” in February to discuss his job as MLB analyst for NBC and Peacock for the 2026 season.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Joey Votto hired analytics specialist during playing career with Reds
Reporting by Dave Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dave Clark, Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY Network
