Canadian Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds is one of three finalists for the National League MVP award.
MLB announced Monday that Votto, Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton and Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt are the finalists in the NL, while Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Indians and Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros are the American League finalists. The winners will be revealed Nov. 16.
The Toronto-born Votto is a three-time finalist. He won the award in 2010.
Votto led MLB in on-base percentage, walks and intentional walks and tied Kansas City’s Alcides Escobar for the Major League lead in games started (162).
The 34-year-old reached base an MLB-best 321 times in 2017, breaking his own club record of 319 set two seasons before. He also led the NL in walks for the fifth time, in on-base percentage for the sixth time and in both categories in the same season for the fourth time.
Votto joined Babe Ruth (1921, 1924, 1926, 1930) and Ted Williams (1941, 1942, 1949) as the only players in Major League history to produce at least 179 hits, 36 homers and 134 walks with 83 strikeouts or fewer in a single season.
Stanton led the majors in homers with 59 and drove in 132 runs. He batted .281 with a .376 on-base percentage and .631 sluggging percentage.
Goldschmidt hit 36 home runs and had 120 RBI’s in 155 games. He finished the season with a .297 batting average.
Judge heads AL MVP nominees
Judge, also a finalist for the AL Rookie of the Year award, hit 52 home runs to help lead the Yankees to a playoff berth. The 25-year-old had 114 RBI’s and 127 walks with 208 strikeouts.
Ramirez had 29 homers, 56 doubles, 83 RBI’s and batted .318 over 152 games for Cleveland.
Altuve led the league in hits with 204 and won his third career batting title with a .346 average. He had 24 homers, 39 doubles and drove in 81 runs for the eventual World Series champion Astros.
