By Adam Morissette

Baseball Canada

OTTAWA- Joey Votto is now a two-time winner of the Lou Marsh Trophy as Canada’s Athlete of the Year.

After winning the award in 2010, a year in which he also collected the National League’s Most Valuable Player award, the Etobicoke, Ont., native was selected by a panel of sports journalists from across Canada as the 2017 winner.

Votto’s exceptional 2017 season as the first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds saw him lead the National League in on-base percentage (OBP) (.454), walks (134), intentional walks (20) and on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) (1.032). He was named to the National League All-Star team for the fifth time, was nominated for the league’s Hank Aaron Award, was narrowly edged out by then Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton for the NL MVP Award and recently won the Canadian Baseball hall of Fame’s Tip O’Neill Award.

Votto, 34, beat out an exceptional group of Canadian athletes to win the Lou Marsh Award including Stanley Cup champion Sidney Crosby, world curling champion Rachel Homan and moguls world champion skier Mikael Kingsbury.

Votto (2010, 2017) along with Larry Walker (1998) and Fergie Jenkins (1974) are the only baseball players to ever win the Lou Marsh Trophy.