Written By: Jovan Popovic
Edited By: Jack Hinde
When someone mentions the names of Freddie Freeman, Joey Votto, and Justin Morneau, besides playing the same position most people connect the dots by way of nationality. Votto and Morneau have deep Canadian roots, both of whom were born in Canada. Freeman was born in the US, but is the child of two Canadian parents. All three have represented Canada at international tournaments.
Not only are these great athletes all Canadian, but they are all first baseman who throw right-handed, and bat left-handed. They all have over 240 career home runs, and 4+ all-star appearances. All three are 220 lbs, and they’re all in their 30s. There are many commonalities between the three, and resultantly have become a highly compared trio.
Most people will commonly associate the three as some of the greatest Canadians to play the game, but as of the end of the 2020 season, there was yet another common ground between them: the MVP award.
Justin Morneau — the 2006 American League MVP — paved the way for Canadians in the MLB, having become just the second Canadian MVP winner in league history. Through 14 years in the bigs, Morneau compiled incredible career numbers, leading him to four all-star games, two Silver Slugger awards, and a batting title. In 2020 he was inducted into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame, as well as the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame, and he should be one of the 40 eligible names on the 2022 MLB Hall of Fame ballot, though he is expected to fall short due to the effect that injuries held later in his career.
Joey Votto — the 2010 National League MVP — has become arguably the most well known Canadian Major Leaguer, having his name put right up there with the best Canadians the game has seen. In his 14-year career Votto has become a six time all-star, and a Gold Glove winner. He became most well known after signing a 12-year $251.5 million contract, which at the time was the largest contract in Major League history. He is still on that contract for three more seasons, but hasn’t been producing like he once did (as one might expect at his age). Despite the dip in recent production, Votto is on pace to surpass several significant milestone numbers in 2021, including 2000 hits, 300 home runs, and 1000 RBI.
Freddie Freeman — the 2020 National League MVP — is one of the best players in the game today. In his 11-year career he has compiled four all-star game appearances, two Silver Sluggers, and a Gold Glove. Although his defensive numbers aren’t as strong as they once were, his offense is as good as ever before, possibly better. He was an obvious MVP frontrunner in his sixth season with MVP votes. He has been a significant offensive threat his entire career, having put up numbers very similar to Votto in several categories, despite being three years behind.
All three players were atop of the game in their prime, and all held long careers with extended levels of success. However, which of the three was the best is where the debate begins to spark. In this article they will be compared across three separate time periods: (1) career totals, (2) numbers from their “prime”, and (3) their MVP year.
Career Numbers
When evaluating the career splits of each player, it appears Votto pulls ahead significantly from both players. He leads in all three categories in the slash line, and only doesn’t lead in the RBI toal, where he will likely pull ahead by the end of the year. As a likely future HOFer, Votto undoubtedly sports the best career total. The most interesting aspect about this chart however is looking at the career numbers of Morneau, and the slash line of Freeman, which truly make Votto look like he is on a different level. In terms of more advanced metrics, Votto leads Morneau in home runs, DRS, and WAR, all of which by a huge margin. At this point in time, they both have 14 years under their belt, making their careers very comparable. With Freeman and Votto, Votto pulls ahead significantly in the slash line, which is especially interesting. Freeman is 31, coming off the best year of his career. Votto is 37 now, and should have experienced years of decline as a result of aging. Despite Votto being far out of his prime years, he still leads Freeman in the percentages.
As interesting as the career numbers are, they aren’t truly valid in making a comparison as only one of the three players has called it a career. As well, one can’t simply judge a player on their career numbers. Morneau was a nearly unstoppable player prior to his injuries, and just looking at these figures doesn’t do him justice. Therefore, it may be more effective to look at each player's numbers surrounding the primes of their careers.
Prime Years
Looking at the three’s statistics at the peak of their career output, it yet again appears that Votto comes out ahead. He led each category but two, and of the two, one was extremely close. The primary number that jumps out when evaluating this chart is the WAR from the combined “prime” years. Votto was ahead by a long shot, while Freeman was second, and Morneau third. The primary surprise was the difference in WAR from Freeman to Morneau. During these spans, Morneau actually played 38 more games. Between the career numbers, and the “prime” numbers, Morneau appears to be significantly behind his MVP peers.
The difference from Votto to Freeman is likely a more interesting one. Votto has long been known as a very “controlled” hitter. He is able to balance his contact and power, keep his plate discipline high, and barrel up good pitches/mistakes. Generally all MVP players are well balanced, but Freeman has long been known as more of a power hitter than anything else, and in this comparison, it shows. Votto led in batting average and OBP by a significant margin, while Freeman led in slugging. As well, Freeman actually led the group in home runs despite one of his five seasons being only 60 games. Although Freeman has a case when up against Votto, the difference in WAR makes it difficult for him to pull ahead in the conversation. Votto’s WAR is still 7.2 higher than Freeman, and despite Freeman facing a shortened season, matching Votto’s numbers would have been nearly impossible should he have played the remaining 102 games. Votto continues to lead the trio for the second comparison period in a row.
For the final comparison, MVP season numbers. This becomes a little more difficult because Freeman only played 60 games. In an attempt to better match it up, Freeman’s stats will be inflated to his 162 game projection based on his rates from the shortened season.
MVP Season
Without knowing that 2020 was shortened, the numbers would create an obvious winner: Freddie Freeman. His projections look unbeatable, and he would be a front runner here by a mile. However, projections aren’t always accurate. In baseball, players can undergo stretches of time where they are able to put up completely unsustainable stats, just like Cody Bellinger in 2019, who through 60 games was hitting nearly .400. So, although these numbers are important, and should be considered, it is critical to note that are likely not of complete accuracy
Simply by viewing the chart, it appears that Morneau is out of the conversation for the best yet again. Despite being such a talented athlete, he didn’t lead a single category. The comparison now comes down to Votto and Freeman, and this is where it gets tricky. Freeman’s numbers look significantly better than Votto, but again, projections are far from perfect. Many of Freeman’s numbers would have to be brought down, but to what extent?
Something important to look at when comparing the two is their slashline. Freeman leads Votto in all three categories, but this is where it gets interesting. Votto led the league in OBP and slugging. Freeman failed to achieve the lead league in either despite his huge numbers. Beyond that, Votto actually hit more home runs than Freeman, and rated better defensively. The only department of concern against Votto is the WAR, which was 6.7. Typically league leaders in that category sit in the 7-10 range, as Freeman was projected to do. In Votto’s MVP year, Roy Halladay was actually the league leader in WAR at 8.3, and Albert Pujols sat atop the position players with a 7.5 WAR. The comparison might ultimately come down to the statistical opinion of the reader, and what stats they do and don’t value in the modern statistical shift of baseball.
Considering all three comparative periods, it is clear that Morneau has fallen out of the race for the best Canadian MVP first baseman. His career numbers couldn’t compare as injuries set him on an early decline, and his prime/MVP numbers just weren’t to the same level of Votto and Freeman. As for the best player, Votto seems to stick out, having clearly had the best career (thus far), and “prime”. He may even have the best MVP season as well.
Author Opinion
If I had to pick, I would have to place my vote on Votto. When comparing MVP years, Votto stuck out to me, mostly because of leading his league. It is difficult to compare the stats from a 162 game season to a 60 game season, and the best way might just be to compare the success of these individuals to the success of the individuals they played against at the time. “Prime” wise, Votto’s numbers were superior, and career wise, it’s the same story. One might make the argument that Freeman’s career still has years to go, and potentially “prime” years, but I can’t imagine that he could possibly make up the difference. It took Freeman many years to get from “above average” to “superstar.” Votto came into the league and hit the ground running, becoming a superstar right out of the gate. The even bigger factor for me is the way that Votto was able to play in his mid 30’s. At age 31, Votto finished third in MVP voting. In his age 33 season he came second, and led the league in WAR. At age 34 he was still an all-star, and led the league in OBP. Although he is starting to face a decline now in his late 30s, his 10 year stretch from ages 24-34 is just unbeatable, and it would take a Herculean effort by Freeman to catch the legacy that Votto has left behind. Therefore, with complete confidence, I call Joey Votto the best Canadian first baseman that the MLB has ever seen.
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