Joe Mauer
Joseph Patrick Mauer (born April 19, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher and first baseman, who spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Minnesota Twins. Widely regarded as the greatest contact hitter of all time at the catcher position in his prime, Mauer is the only catcher in MLB history to win three batting titles, and the only catcher to ever win a batting title in the American League (AL).
| Joe Mauer | |
|---|---|
Mauer with the Minnesota Twins in 2017 | |
| Catcher / First baseman | |
| Born: April 19, 1983 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 5, 2004, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 30, 2018, for the Minnesota Twins | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .306 |
| Hits | 2,123 |
| Home runs | 143 |
| Runs batted in | 923 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Incoming Member of the National | |
| Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2024 |
| Vote | 76.1% (first ballot) |
Mauer received six All-Star selections and won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards (2008–2010), five Silver Slugger Awards (including three in a row) and the 2009 AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. As of 2023, he is the most recent catcher to win (or even place in the top three in the voting) the MVP award in the American League, and one of only two catchers to win an MVP in the 21st century along with Buster Posey. Mauer was selected by the Twins as the first overall pick of the 2001 MLB draft and was a fan favorite during his career in large part due to him being a Minnesota native. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2024.