Triple Crown Trio

[bshall2105]

Disagree greatly. When Votto has 10 seasons in a row of hitting 30+ HR, .300 + BA and 100 + RBI...then you can say Votto is in the same league as Pujols.

This season they are in the same league.

[mckbearcat48]

This season they are in the same league.

I think they've been in the same league their entire career. J/K, Votto's having a great year this year, and is moving up the ranks of the elite quickly. Albert made the same move 10 years prior.

[gmt]

Votto will be fine. He has a long way to catch up to Pujols as an established consistent slugger with high average. If he can stay healthy he has a chance to be right up there. Pujols has been for the most part healthy for his entire 10 year career despite a few nagging injuries to slow him down. It's great to see the players come along who really distance themselves from their peers of theur generation. Votto could have a chance to be one of those players.

[MikeThierry]

Well, I wouldn't call what Pujols has gone through as a couple of nagging injuries. This guy has had bone spurs in his elbow, torn ligaments in his elbow, leg problems. He has said that in most years he is only about 80-85 percent healthy.

I think the thing that might hurt Votto's career when compared to Pujols career is that Pujols entered the league at age 21 while Votto entered the league at age 23 but really had his first full year at age 24. While that 3 year difference might not be much, it will hurt him towards the end of Votto's career. Its just like Pujols will not have a chance to touch Alex Rodriguez's home run total, for example, simply because A-Rod started playing when he was 18. I still think Votto has a good chance of being great for years to come.

[gmt]

Well, I wouldn't call what Pujols has gone through as a couple of nagging injuries. This guy has had bone spurs in his elbow, torn ligaments in his elbow, leg problems. He has said that in most years he is only about 80-85 percent healthy.

I think the thing that might hurt Votto's career when compared to Pujols career is that Pujols entered the league at age 21 while Votto entered the league at age 23 but really had his first full year at age 24. While that 3 year difference might not be much, it will hurt him towards the end of Votto's career. Its just like Pujols will not have a chance to touch Alex Rodriguez's home run total, for example, simply because A-Rod started playing when he was 18. I still think Votto has a good chance of being great for years to come.

I'm not saying Pujols' injuries didn't affect his play. What they didn't do was keep him out of the lineup, probably beacuse of his insistance that he not be disabled. His stats, if you can believe it, suffered during those times. Who knows where he would be today if he didn't have bone spurs, and what appear to be chronic leg/hip problems.

[defender]

Right now, Votto leads in Ave and RBI. Before Howard got hurt, it did not seem likely he could lead in RBI. I think Infante will reach 502 PAs, but I doubt he keeps his average in the .340s.