Joey Votto Turns 35 Have His Skills Aged Well?

Today September 10 is Joey Votto's 35th birthday.

That is young for people with every day jobs but he is getting long in the tooth as far as baseball goes.

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Votto's batting average is .283, the lowest since he hit .255 in the injury plagued 2014 season.  His power numbers are down too.  Votto hit 25 doubles to date and 11 home runs, two in the last two days.   Outside of the 2014 season both are the lowest of his career for a full season.  He led the National League with 40 doubles in 2011.  His lowest total is the 30 in 2013.  His lowest home run total for a season was 14 in 2012.  Last season Votto hit 36 one off his career high of 37 hit in his MVP season in 2010.

"I think that there was something slightly off on my mechanics this year," Votto said. "Balls that used to carry over the fence or carry through the gaps with good back spin were only making it to the warning track."

Votto, who tied Joe Mogan's team record for walking 100 or more times in a season six times, doesn't consider himself the classic power hitter.

"I'm never going to be one of those guys that hits balls so hard, that no matter what direction the ball fades or spins carry out of the ball park.  I'm at that point in my career.  Often times, I'm finding they're getting caught on the track.  Balls are sent to one of the outfielders that used to carry over the fence.  I do fell like I've made an adjustment that has taken a long time."

Manager Jim Riggleman doesn't see Votto's skills declining.

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"A while back I was looking at the ages of players," Riggleman said.  "Players now are able to stay in shape.  I don't think he's slowing down.  He is in tremendous physical and mental shape. I don't see him slowing down.  I don't think it will happen for awhile."

Votto didn't hit a home run in his first 19 games.  His first was on April 24.  Votto hit one in the next three games.  His 10th home run Saturday, a grand slam snapped a 36-game home run drought.

"I feel great," said Votto, who accepts the statcast analysis in modern baseball. "If you look, I'm among the leaders in line drive percentage and hard hit balls.  They are really good numbers but I'm finding that I'm not getting the power.results.  There is something to that mechanically.  I hit the ball as hard as I've hit it the last few years but it is lower in trajectory. and caught or turned into a single or a double. I have to figure out a way to get the ball to carry over the fence."

"I'm hitting the ball hard, hitting the exit velocity minimum but not meeting the launch angle minimum," Votto said.

Votto has recently discovered what happened to his power stroke and how his approach this season didn't quite match his skills.

"I've diagnosed the mechanics," Votto said.  "You can say I'm unlucky but I feel like this style of hitting needs to be corrected.  I'm not a fast runner, so I don't get the benefit of the ball hit on the ground through the infield because the defense is going to be able to play further back and spread themselves out.  I don't get the benefit of a line drive turning into a single or double. I feel like I'm heading in that direction.  I think going into the season this year, I've made some mistakes mechanically."

The veteran finishing his 11th season, is going to fix the flaws on the fly.

"I look forward to finishing strong this year. I've never been one to think that this is the sort of thing that has to be solved in the off season. It is something you have to do while you have the opportunities in front of you," the Canadian born first baseman said,"

Votto admits that he didn't give himself enough credit and over analyzed the aging process.

"I've probably made too many concessions to age," Votto said.  "I need to let that go. I get ahead of myself at times, thinking I'm going to lose things when really I still have them."