Joey Votto

Something a little different this week, but not totally unprecedented... This week's MLBoyfriend did not play a single inning of Major League Baseball, but I couldn't let the retirement of long-time MLBoyfriend favorite, Joey Votto, pass without posting an appreciation of him.

For those, who don't know Joey Votto, here's a fan-created post with just a few of the moments that made many of us fall for him.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Joey Votto (@joeyvotto)

If you have a bit more time, here's a some of Votto's career highlights on the field.

And here's Joey being Joey when he's not between the lines.

I won't go through all the stats and awards, but let's just say there's a good case for Joey Votto making it into the Baseball Hall Of Fame. FWIW, he's also a favorite of the gays. I'll just post of few of the many cute pics I found of him while "researching" this post. Did I mention that he's very handsome?

Congratulations, Joey Votto! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week.

I'm sad to see you go, but I love to see you walk away.

Seiya Suzuki

I've been sleeping on Seiya Suzuki for the last couple of years. But no longer.

Suzuki put up some hard to miss numbers last week. He had 12 hits in 27 at-bats for a .444 average. His slugging percentage was even more impressive at .889--with 4 doubles, 1 triple and 2 home runs. Along the way, he scored 5 runs, batted in 10, and stole a base.

If you watch some of Suzuki's highlights online, one thing is clear: he is having a lot of fun playing the game. That makes him a lot of fun to watch.

Congratulations, Seiya Suzuki, you are my MLBoyfriend of the week!

PS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to MLBoyfriend favorite, Joey Votto! 

Joey returned from the IL to the Reds line-up just in time for his birthday yesterday, September 10th. He celebrated in style with a monster home run. 

This is what the young and hip people do. pic.twitter.com/8BRocLVw1v

— Cincinnati Reds (@Reds) September 10, 2023

Elly De La Cruz

I guess it's not a huge surprise that I'd never heard of Elly De La Cruz before this week. He is a rookie after all, so he hasn't had much time to get on my radar. Also, despite my undying love for Joey Votto, I don't really pay that much attention to the Cincinnati Reds.

I think De La Cruz came to a lot of baseball fans' attention with his amazing performance last week. He had 11 hits in 25 at bats for a .440 average. He had 5 RBI--which double his count for the season. Just to top it all off, he had 2 stolen bases.

De La Cruz had his biggest night of the week on Friday, June 23. That night, he hit for the cycle--meaning he got a single, a double, a triple and a home run in the same game. This is one of the rarest achievements in baseball. It's the first time in 29 years that a player for the Reds has done it.

De La Cruz is having a terrific rookie year. He's the first player since the "World Series Era" began in 1903 to have at least 20 hits, 5 stolen bases, and 3 home runs in their first 15 games. I would also like to point out that he is very handsome and has maybe the best hair in the MLB.

Congratulations, Elly De La Cruz! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week. Also, nice job on being named the National League Player of the Week. You richly deserve both titles.

Week 14: Joey Votto

HAPPY CANADA DAY! I'm so happy my favorite Canadian player, Joey Votto, is on a hot streak, so I can name him my MLBoyfriend. Last week, Votto had four runs, one home run, and two RBIs. He had a .368 average and .955 OPS. He even had a stolen base--his second of the season.

Votto's biggest night of the week came on Friday, June 28. He had four hits in the Reds' victory over the Cubs--and one of those hits was the 1,800th of his career.

Joey Votto singles in a run for career hit No. 1,800! The @Reds veteran's bat is scorching 🔥

Don't miss Cincinnati baseball on FSO & FOX Sports GO: https://t.co/MoMgktwwsD pic.twitter.com/HiALtT5w3X

— FOX Sports Ohio (@FOXSportsOH) June 29, 2019

Best of all, Joey Votto did all this while continuing to be what the kids today call a "zaddy".

Week 5: Didi Gregorius

Sure, picking the American League Player of the Week to be my MLBoyfriend may be the obvious choice. But sometimes, the obvious choice is the right choice. Didi Gregorius had only one serious competitor for the title this week, and the was the National League Player of the Week, and favorite of this blog, Joey Votto.  Gregorius had a .357 batting average and 1.241 OPS with seven runs, ten RBIs and four home runs last week. If you'd like to take a look at those home runs, here they are:




That excellent week topped off an excellent first month of the season for Gregorius. In fact, he had, arguably, the best beginning of the season at the plate of any short stop in MLB history--at least, according to Twitter:

Didi Gregorius is 1st shortstop in MLB history with at least 8 HR and 27 RBI in team's 1st 22 games.

— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) April 25, 2018

He currently has a .340 batting average, 1.202 OPS, 24 runs, 30 RBIs, two stolen bases, and ten home runs. The season is very young, but there is already talk of an MVP award for Gregorius.

By the way, Gregorius's fielding has been pretty solid too.

2017 All-Stars

Lest you think this blog is a beauty contest, I'll have you know that eight of my fourteen 2017 MLBoyfriends were selected for this year's All-Star Game. That gives me a .571 win record which would be good enough to have the lead in four of the six divisions in the MLB right now.

And the 2017 All-Star MLBoyfriends are...

Week 1: Miguel Sano

Sano took 2nd place in the 2017 Home Run Derby.

Bonus picture: Sano with teammate, fellow All-Star and former MLBoyfriend, Santana.

Week 3: Bryce Harper

Harper and his wonderful hair are making their 5th All-Star Game appearance.

Week 5: Ryan Zimmerman

It's been a long and sometimes difficult 8 years since Zimmerman's only other All-Star Game.

Week 6: Buster Posey

Posey--the epitome of a C.Y.D.*--with his daughter at the 2016 All-Star Game.

Week 8: Erwin Santana

Santana is a rarity--the first Minnesota Twins starting pitcher at the All-Star Game in a decade.

Bonus picture: Santana with teammate, fellow All-Star and former MLBoyfriend, Sano.

Week 10: Aaron Judge

Judge wins the Home Run Derby in his rookie year.

Week 13: Joey Votto

Votto will soon be buying a donkey for teammate and fellow All-Star Zack Cozart--for real.

Week 14: George Springer

Springer & Carlos Correa, 2 of the 6(!) Astros--a franchise record--going to the All-Star Game.

Congratulations to all my All-Star MLBoyfriends!

PS: For what it's worth, eight of my 2016 MLBoyfriends were selected for the 2017 All-Star rosters. Congrats to Bryce Harper (again), Michael Conforto, Robinson Canó, Max Scherzer, Buster Posey (again), José Altuve, Yu Darvish, & Gary Sanchez!

*Cute Young Dad

Week 13: Joey Votto

HAPPY 150th BIRTHDAY, CANADA!

In honor of our neighbor-to-the-north's sesquicentennial on July 1st, I've chosen Joey Votto, my favorite Canadian baseball player, as my MLBoyfriend of the week. 

Joey Votto didn't just win the prize because he's a Canuck. He had a beauty of a week last week. 

Votto had an amazing .524 batting average and an equally amazing 1.725 OPS with 6 runs, 6 RBIs,  3 home runs and one stolen base.

Joey Votto also gained major points in my book when he dressed as a donkey to drum up votes for teammate and donkey enthusiast Zack Cozart's All-Star campaign. Votto has promised to buy Cozart a donkey if Cozart was selected for the All-Star Game, and now Votto is shopping for one.