Votto of Confidence in Cincinnati

March 3, 2008 @ 00:41:24

By Bryce McRae
Edited by Herija C. Green

This appears to be the year Cincinnati Reds first base prospect Joey Votto finally gets a starting job in the big leagues. He had a brief stint at the end of last year with the Reds, playing in 24 games while hitting .321 with four home runs and 17 RBIs. Last year was his sixth season in the minors, but he is only 24 years old and got nearly a full season with Triple-A Louisville last season. Despite many believing that he is ready, he could have some competition at first base entering spring training. First baseman Scott Hatteberg had a solid year in 2007, hitting .310 with 10 home runs, 47 RBIs and 50 runs in 116 games.

The team decided that they would bring him back in the offseason to provide both competition and insurance for Votto. New manager Dusty Baker also tends to lean on his veteran players more than most managers do (and many fans believe he should). While Votto looked ready for the majors last September, it is uncertain if that will result in him holding down the starting job come Opening Day.

An Impressive Debut

Votto's numbers at Louisville speak for themselves. In 133 games, he hit .294 with 22 home runs, 92 RBIs, 74 runs and 17 stolen bases. He can hit for both power and average and also has a great eye for the ball - as evidenced by his .381 on-base percentage. Votto is not great defensively, but that does not figure to be a problem in the majors with the offense he can provide. Votto should be drafted as a No. 2 first baseman in mixed leagues that has sizable upside for this season.

Depth or Competition?

As stated above, the Reds brought back Hatteberg this past offseason and despite Votto's potential, Hatteberg still has a shot at the job. He put up solid numbers last year, which included a .394 on-base percentage. However, Hatteberg is 38 years old and is just a .274 hitter for his career. He has struggled as a pinch-hitter in the past, hitting just .177 for his career, so that could limit his options with the club. Working in his favor, though, is having Baker as his manager.

In the past Baker always seemed to favor playing his veterans over the younger guys. While Votto seems to be a can't-miss prospect, if he does struggle, Baker may not hesitate to insert Hatteberg into the starting lineup. Hatteberg does not have any fantasy value now, but he is someone you should keep an eye on during spring training.

Fantasy Summary

The starting first base job appears to be Votto's to lose. Ideally he would provide the kind of offense you want out of your first baseman, and he is clearly much younger than Hatteberg. The most likely situation appears to be Votto will retain the starting job and Hatteberg will serve as his backup, maybe being used to break him into the big leagues slowly. However, the most likely situation is not often the one Baker will go with so keep an eye on this as training camp develops. Whoever grabs the starting job should have decent value as a No. 2 first baseman, with Votto providing far greater upside.

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Bryce McRae
Bryce McRae is a Managing Editor with KFFL and has been involved in fantasy sports since 1999. He joined KFFL as a volunteer writer in March 2005 before becoming a Hot off the Wire Analyst in March 2006. He began working in his current capacity in September 2008. His work has appeared on fantasy sports sites such as Yahoo! and CBS Sportsline as well as in print. He graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2008 with a B.A. in History and U.S. Studies.

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