Minnesota Twins: Best Player In Each Decade Since 1961
2010-Present: Joe Mauer
This decade has been one of the toughest in franchise history. The Twins made the playoffs in 2010, but have not been there since. One bright spot that has been shining throughout this time has been Joe Mauer.
Mauer is the hometown guy the fans all cheer for, except he has also been the star of the squad for years. Since the start of the decade, Mauer has been to three All Star games, won two silver sluggers and has batted over .300 three times.
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The Twins have not been great since coming to Target Field, with one playoff appearance since the move. Mauer is the link to the teams that had success. The teams with Hunter, Morneau, Nathan and Michael Cuddyer.
Although the Twins have not been great, Mauer has been a great leader and mentor to such young stars as Miguel Sano and Byron Buxton. He has had some good teammates in Cuddyer and Brian Dozier, but no one has come close to matching Mauer’s overall production this decade.
Mauer has been the undisputed face of the Twins for a very long time, much like Killebrew and Puckett but not quite as dominant. The kid from St. Paul turned Twins star catcher will forever be a part of Twins lore, and for good reason.
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Sano could possibly match Mauer’s production, but he may be a better candidate for the best player from 2020-2029 if he stays with the Twins and keeps producing. Hopefully, for the Twins, this decade closes well and the next one will be one the franchise will never forget.