5 moments Twins fans knew Joe Mauer was a Hall of Famer

In 2001 the Minnesota Twins had the first pick in the MLB draft, with that selection they took an 18-year-old prospect out of Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Joe Mauer was already 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 two-time 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 where Mauer stood out from his peers, but five moments in particular let fans know he was destined for baseball immortality.

Honorable Mention 

It’s no secret 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, with the game tied at three he laced a double to left field that was clearly fair, but was called foul by umpire Phil Cuzzi. The Yankees ended up winning in the bottom of the inning, and the clutch hit that never happened still haunts Twins fans today.

5. A high-IQ play

Mauer was one of the best hitting catchers ever, but his greatness behind the plate often went unnoticed by the average fan. His defensive skills as a catcher was one of the main factors in him becoming a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

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

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

4. Joe Mauer’s 2000th hit 

Mauer had an illustrious career as a catcher and was well-known for his hitting prowess with a career batting average of .306. However, catching can take a toll on the body, and Mauer dealt with his fair share of injuries.

Due to the injuries, Mauer made the switch to first base in 2014 to help extend his career and, in 2018, he was able to deliever something special at home.

Mauer reached 2,000 hits in front of the hometown crowd at Target Field, and in true Mauer fashion, he hit the ball right back up the middle, driving in two runs. This led to a standing ovation for the hometown hero, and fans realized he was that much closer to the Hall of Fame.

Due to the missed time, Mauer was never able to join the 3,000-hit club, but he won quite a few batting titles.

3. Joe Mauer’s first batting title

Five years after being the first pick, Mauer won his first of three batting titles in 2006. He had a solid start to his career in 2004 and 2005, but in 2006, he officially arrived. 

Mauer had started the season on an absoulte tear, opposing pitchers couldn't figure out how to retire him. By the end of June, his batting average was .392.

He won the batting title with a .347 average, beating out Yankee superstar, Derek Jeter, by four points on the final day of the season with 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.

However, batting titles weren't the only award he won in his Hall of Fame career.

2. Tagging out Brett Gardner at home plate

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

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

In the bottom of the ninth against the Yankees, a comebacker rolled back to Mauer in the field. He picked it up about halfway between the plate and mound. Due to his position, the Yankees Brett Gardner saw a chance to score the game-winning run, but Gardner did not consider how athletic Mauer was.

Mauer noticed this and quickly ran to the plate. With a last-second dive, he was able to apply the tag and keep the game tied in the ninth. However, this was just the start of Mauer’s memorable 2009 campaign.

1. Joe Mauer’s 2009 MVP season

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 started his season May 1 after recovering from offseason kidney surgery and went 2-for-3 to open the year. This performance helped spur him on to his best season as a professional and arguably the greatest season by a catcher in MLB history, as he is still the only catcher to lead his league in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging.

The then 26-year-old was unstoppable, he slashed an outstanding .365/.444/.587. In addition, to his fantastic average, Mauer showed his power, ending 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 saw him participate in the Home Run Derby and be the starting catcher in the All-Star Game, where he had an RBI double as the American League beat the National League 4-3.

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

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