A great archetype of major league heroes is disappearing.
culture and eschewed the worst parts. The longtime Cincinnati Reds first baseman put together a strong Hall of Fame résumé, with the main point in his favor being a ridiculous .409 on-base percentage across parts of 17 major league seasons. He didn’t have prodigious home run power but still slugged quite a bit, and only five hitters in the expansion era have been harder to get out than Votto while making as many plate appearances as his nearly 9,000.
These are not easy times to be a hitter in Major League Baseball. Pitchers throw harder than ever, and teams have cracked the code on defensive positioning. League-wide offense has been in the toilet for years anddown among first basemen, who this year have posted a .729 on-base plus slugging percentage. That is the position’s worst OPS since 1968. It’s not a matter of a low offensive tide lowering all boats. Historically, first base is baseball’s most productive offensive position.
There’s not just one reason for the waning of good-hitting first basemen. But as I talked through the issue with baseball journalist and author Ben Lindbergh on, I took away the view that the decline of first base is not a cyclical matter. The national pastime is losing a recipe at what used to be its most prolific offensive spot. Votto’s retirement is a symbol of a changing game.Some of the problem, as Lindbergh points out, is ephemeral.
There might be other factors at play, but they involve some conjecture. Did the end of widespread steroid use take an extra toll on a position built around power hitting? Maybe, maybe not. Did the National League’s adoption of the designated hitter in 2022 sap more talent from first base? Perhaps a little, but most NL teams’ DHs aren’t even former first basemen.
Not everything about the state of first base is sad. The next time a hitter like Votto comes around, should he wind up playing second base instead of first, he will still be fun to watch. There is nothing inherently special about the greatest hitters alive playing the most manageable position on the diamond. Unicorns like De La Cruz, who can hit like a first baseman while fielding at shortstop, are awesome.
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