Major League Baseball

Joey Votto's bold 2023 MLB prediction: Aliens help Reds win World Series

Updated Feb. 27, 2023 4:40 p.m. ET

Major League Baseball asked for bold predictions for the 2023 season — and Joey Votto delivered.

The longtime Reds first baseman, who is widely regarded as one of the most interesting characters in baseball, posted on Instagram on Monday that Cincinnati would get off to a 12-2 start to the season — and then things would get really weird.

"Extra terrestrials arrive on earth, April 15. The 12-2 Reds and the rest of the planet learn from, communicate with, and befriend our alien friends. This process takes 5 months. Play resumes in October. The Reds sweep the playoffs and are World Series champs," Votto wrote.

"Side note: the aliens ask if I would like to accompany them on their ship back to their plant [sic]. I oblige. Never to be seen again."

If anyone was going to offer such a hilarious, absurd prediction it would be Votto, who is known and beloved across baseball for his unique personality. It was not uncommon last season for Votto to be seen doing TikTok dances with teammates, fans and even Cincinnati Bengals stars, and stories abound of the six-time All-Star playing chess, taking Spanish lessons and improv classes in order to communicate better with his teammates, and listening to Kendrick Lamar, Norm McDonald and David Letterman in his downtime.

Votto will enter his 16th season with the Reds, and his prediction that they could win the World Series in 2023 might be nearly as bold as the arrival of aliens. Cincinnati is widely expected to record another losing season after notching 100 losses last year, and is currently projected by Baseball Prospectus to finish 68-94 in 2023.

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