Reds ride the long ball to a 7-1 win over the White Sox

Zach Buchanan | Cincinnati Enquirer

The Enquirer/C. Trent Rosecrans

The Enquirer/Meg Vogel

Winter is a time of rich traditions. Families gather around the Thanksgiving table, the Christmas tree is lit at Rockefeller Center and the ball is dropped in time square. In between those annual rites, Joey Votto is once again named the Cincinnati Reds' Most Valuable Player.

This year was no different. During the first day of RedsFest, Votto was again named the team MVP according to the votes of the local chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. (The Enquirer's reporters are members.) It's the sixth time Votto has won the award, which is named after Ernie Lombardi.

Votto posted arguably the best offensive season in the majors and of his career, but fell two points short of the National League MVP award, which was claimed by Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton.

The other BBWAA award winners are as follows:

Johnny Vander Meer Most Outstanding Pitcher: Right-handed pitcher Raisel Iglesias. The 27-year-old recorded a 2.49 ERA in 76 innings out of the bullpen, striking out nearly 11 batters per nine innings.

Joe Nuxhall Good Guy: Third baseman Eugenio Suarez. The 26-year-old enjoyed a breakout season at the plate and in the field, and was always a bundle of positive energy in the clubhouse, especially when dealing with the media.

{{props.notification}} {{props.tag}} {{props.expression}} {{props.linkSubscribe.text}} {{#modules.acquisition.inline}}{{/modules.acquisition.inline}} ... Our reporting. Your stories. Get unlimited digital access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now

The Reds also announced their minor-league awards. The winners were:

The Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award for Minor League Player of the Year: Third base prospect Nick Senzel. Senzel hit .321/.391/.514 between High- and Double-A, and earned a spot in the Futures Game at midseason.

Hitter of the Year: Center fielder Jose Siri. The 22-year-old hit .293 with 24 homers, and rode a 39-game hit streak for Low-A Dayton.

Pitcher of the Year: Right-hander Tyler Mahle. The 23-year-old Mahle tossed a perfect game with Double-A Pensacola and earned a promotion to Triple-A, where he had a 2.73 ERA. He finished the year in the majors.

Minor League Community Service Award: Right-handed pitcher Aaron Fossas.

View | 16 Photos

2017 Redsfest