Joey Votto On The Reds: "I Think We're A Fucking Nightmare. And I Think Everybody Knows That."
Okay, so first thing's first -- we're all getting MAJOR serial killer vibes from Joey Votto here, right? Like, that dude's for sure killed before and he'll kill again? Cool. Glad we're all on the same page.
But for real, how can you not be happy for a guy like Votto? That man stuck it out on all the shitty Reds teams over the past few years and still put up HOF-worthy numbers. They finally went out and built a team around him and look what we've got here! A postseason berth.
The path to Cincinnati's return to the postseason began last year when they traded for Trevor Bauer, who sucked after being acquired in 2019 but turned into a Cy Young award winner this season. They signed Mike Moustakas, who finally got a fucking long term deal after taking a couple one-year deals because teams were too stupid to lock him up for multiple years. Nobody really knew where they were going to play Nick Castellanos, but they paid him too and then he came in and mashed. It's been a fun year to watch the Reds, man. And for those who feel the same way, we're going to get to watch them in October for the first time since 2013.
Votto's thoughts in regards to this team are very clear. He thinks that they are a "fucking nightmare" and that everybody knows that. The Reds were my NL Central pick before the season, and although they fell short of a division title, they've got a ticket to the dance. I've been banging the "you don't want to see the Reds in October" drum for weeks now. It's just a fact. Their record is not a reflection of how good this team is. Their lineup can slug you to death. Trevor Bauer, Luis Castillo, and Sonny Gray (Tyler Mahle if they go four deep in a best of seven) is not a three-man rotation you want to stare down in a playoff series. And you don't want to fall behind in the late innings when you know Raisel Iglesias, Amir Garrett, Archie Bradley and Lucas Sims are waiting for you.
I've seen some baseball fans react to Votto's "fucking nightmare" line with a simple retort -- the Reds are 30-28. They're two games over .500 on the year. What's so nightmarish about that? Since September 9, they're 12-4. Best record in baseball. They're getting red hot at the exact time that every team wishes they could. And I think everybody knows that.