Joseph Daniel "Joey" Votto (born September 10, 1983) is a Canadian professional baseball first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Reds in 2007.

Votto is a four-time MLB All-Star and a six-time Tip O'Neill Award winner. In 2010, he won the National League (NL) MVP Award, the NL Hank Aaron Award, and the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada's athlete of the year.

Votto was born on September 10, 1983 to Wendy (Howell) and Joseph Votto in Toronto, Ontario, and grew up in Etobicoke, a district in the west end of Toronto. His mother is a sommelier and restaurant manager. His father was a chef and a baseball fan who died at age 52 in 2008. He is of Italian descent. As a child, he adorned his wall with a Ted Williams poster.

Votto enrolled in high school at Richview Collegiate Institute in 1997. In high school, he also played basketball—playing point guard and once scoring 37 points in a game—and hockey. He played for the Etobicoke Rangers baseball program. Votto signed a National Letter of Intent to play college baseball for the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers after high school.

Votto was drafted out of high school in the second round of the 2002 MLB amateur draft by the Reds (44th overall), After his first two professional seasons with the Reds' rookie-level affiliates, he burst onto the scene in 2004 with the Class A Dayton Dragons, hitting 26 doubles and 14 home runs with a batting average of .302. He was promoted to the Class A-Advanced Potomac and hit five more home runs in 20 games to end the season with 19. During his time in the minor leagues, Votto made appearances in the outfield and as a catcher, aside from first base.

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