Joey Votto makes his debut for NBC Sports as an "Inside the Pitch" analyst on Sunday Night Baseball. Credit: NBC Credit: NBC
By Matt Clapp on

Former major-league star Joey Votto made his highly anticipated debut as an NBC analyst for Sunday Night Baseball during the series finale between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

After joining Bob Costas in the pregame show, Votto served as the “Inside the Pitch” analyst for NBC from the camera well next to the third-base dugout. He showed off his blend of smarts, personality, and honesty that made him one of the media’s favorite players to interview during his decorated MLB career, which included being named the 2010 NL MVP.

Votto was known for his high IQ, studious habits, and attention to detail as a hitter. He had a rare combination of contact, power, and on-base skills, putting together an incredible career slash line of .294/.409/.511. He led the NL in on-base percentage seven times and OPS twice.

His commentary really shined when breaking down hitting, in terms of the approach, mechanics, and matchups, like with this plate appearance featuring Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber against Yankees southpaw Tim Hill:

“This is a tough at-bat right now for Kyle Schwarber,” Votto, who was a left-handed hitter himself, explained. “I have to be honest with you. I have the best seat in the house, and I want to see a Kyle Schwarber homer, or a Bryce Harper homer. I’m here to be entertained. But this is a very tough at-bat.”

“So, for a lefty against Tim Hill, who is a lefty specialist, what can you train your brain for, Joey?” NBC play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti asked.

“No, there’s no training with a guy like this,” Votto responded. “The ball is starting behind you. He’s got that big crossover. He’s on the first-base side, which means he’s basically physically starting behind you. He’s throwing sidearm. So, everything is working against our natural, sort of, ‘We want the ball away from us; let’s get full extension.’ And Schwarber needs no space. He’s one of the few hitters that needs no space to hit a ball 450 feet. But still, when everything is starting behind you, there is a small sliver that you can make solid contact with. This is a very tough matchup.”

“So, Joey, explain what you mean by needing no space,” NBC color commentator Joe Girardi said.

“I’m a bit of a boxing fan, and they talk about fighting in a telephone booth,” Votto explained. “Well, Kyle Schwarber hits in a telephone booth. He doesn’t move. He also has as compact a swing as it gets. And he’s not a big man, but the ball comes off the same way it comes off Aaron Judge’s bat, the same way it comes off of (Junior) Caminero’s bat, Yordan Álvarez. 56 home runs don’t just happen. He gets to kind of stay planted in the ground, make his turn, and sometimes end up with his back knee on the ground. It tells you everything you need to know about how simple of a swing he has.”

Votto’s debut as an NBC analyst on Sunday Night Baseball received plenty of applause on social media. Here’s a look at some of the reactions:

After the game, Votto posted to X, “That was really fun.”

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.

He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

View all posts by Matt Clapp