The Best Moments From Joe Mauer’s Hall of Fame Career With Twins

In 2001, the Minnesota Twins had the first pick in the MLB draft. With that pick, they selected an 18-year-old prospect from Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Joe Mauer was a local legend at a young age. He was a three-sport athlete in high school and a star in all of them. USA Today named Mauer National Player of the Year in both football and baseball, and he was twice all-state in basketball. He ultimately chose baseball, which was a great decision for him and his home state.

From local high school legend to MLB Hall of Famer, Mauer had an incredible career in Minnesota. There are many moments that set Mauer apart from his peers, but five moments in particular let fans know he was destined for baseball immortality.

It’s no secret that the Twins struggled in the playoffs during Mauer’s career, in fact, they never won a game. However, there was one moment in the 2009 playoffs that could have changed the course of history.

Mauer was batting in an extra-inning game against the New York Yankees, and with the score tied at third, he hit a double to left field that was clearly fair, but was ruled an error by umpire Phil Cuzzi. The Yankees eventually won in the final inning, and the clutch hit that never came still haunts Twins fans.

Mauer was one of the greatest hitters of all time, but his greatness behind the plate often went unnoticed by the average fan. His defensive skills as a catcher were one of the major factors that made him a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Mauer had a strong arm behind the plate, partly because of his quarterback background, throwing out 181 runners in his career and having 323 assists. In addition to his great arm, he rarely made an error with a .995 fielding percentage as a catcher and went all-out on every play.

Against the Royals at Target Field, Mauer made an impressive catch around the net in foul territory. This innovative play showed fans that Mauer was a cut above the rest and headed for the Hall of Fame.

Mauer had an illustrious career as a catcher and was known for his hitting ability with a career batting average of .306. Catching can take a toll on the body, however, and Mauer dealt with his fair share of injuries.

Due to injuries, Mauer switched to first base in 2014 to extend his career. In 2018, he was able to show something special at home.

Mauer reached 2,000 hits in front of the home crowd at Target Field, and in true Mauer style, he hit the ball straight back to center, knocking in two runs. It brought a standing ovation for the hometown hero, and fans realized he was that much closer to the Hall of Fame.

The missed playing time prevented Mauer from ever reaching the 3,000-hit club, but he did win a number of batting titles.

Five years after being selected first, Mauer won his first of three batting titles in 2006. He started his career solidly in 2004 and 2005, but by 2006 he had officially arrived.

Mauer had started the season on an absolute tear, opponents didn’t know how to stop him. By the end of June, his batting average was .392.

He won the batting title with a .347 average, beating Yankee superstar Derek Jeter by four runs on the final day of the season in a two-hit game. This made Mauer the first catcher in AL history to win a batting title and he finished his career with three, an MLB high for a catcher.

But batting titles weren’t the only awards he won during his Hall of Fame career.

Mauer was a three-sport star in high school, and his natural athletic talent helped him win three Gold Gloves.

His second of three came in 2009, when he made one of the most athletic plays ever by a catcher.

In the ninth inning against the Yankees, a comebacker rolled back to Mauer in the field. He picked up the ball about halfway between the plate and the mound. Because of his position, the Yankees saw Brett Gardner as a chance to score the winning run, but Gardner didn’t take into account Mauer’s athleticism.

Mauer took notice and quickly ran to the plate. With a last-second dive, he was able to apply the tag and tie the game in the ninth inning. This, however, was only the beginning of Mauer’s memorable 2009 campaign.

Mauer had a fantastic 15-year career, but nothing topped his MVP-winning season in 2009. This season is even more impressive when you realize Mauer missed the first part of it.

He officially began his season on May 1 after recovering from midseason kidney surgery, going 2-for-3 to open the year. The performance helped him post his best season as a professional and perhaps the best season by a catcher in MLB history, as he remains the only catcher to lead his league in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging.

The then 26-year-old was unstoppable, hitting an outstanding .365/.444/.587. In addition to his fantastic average, Mauer also showed his power, finishing with 28 home runs.

Mauer was not known for his power, and his 28 home runs and 96 RBIs in 2009 were both career highs. His power numbers also landed him a spot in the Home Run Derby and as the starting catcher in the All-Star Game, where he had an RBI double as the American League defeated the National League 4-3.

He also led the Twins to the playoffs in 2009 after winning the AL Central with his 8.4 WAR, which according to FanGraphs is still the most by a catcher since 1961. The season did not end well for the Twins, as they were defeated in the playoffs by the Yankees, but Mauer’s impact will never be forgotten.

More Minnesota Twins news and rumors