Fastball

Minnesota Twins Legend Stands Alone in Baseball History as He Enters Hall of Fame

As Minnesota Twins legend Joe Mauer gets set to enter the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday, it's a good reminder that he stands alone in baseball history with regards to this great statistic.

Brady Farkas

Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer (7) gives an interview with FSN reporter Audra Martin after the game against Chicago White Sox at Target Field on 2018.
Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer (7) gives an interview with FSN reporter Audra Martin after the game against Chicago White Sox at Target Field on 2018. / Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
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On Sunday afternoon, Minnesota Twins legend Joe Mauer will enter the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. He'll be inducted alongside Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton and Jim Leyland.

The 41-year-old Minnesota native is one of the best players in Twins history and could still be playing if not for the injuries that sapped him at the end. He retired at just the age of 35 years old back in 2018. He earned induction to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, as did Beltre.

Mauer played all 15 years of his career with the Twins, who were his hometown organization. He was a .306 lifetime hitter who won three batting titles (2006, 2008, 2009). He was also the MVP of the American League in 2009 and went to the All-Star Game six times. He paired with Justin Morneau to make up a great duo for Twins fans of the 2000s. Mauer helped the Twins reach the playoffs in the 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2017 seasons.

Furthermore, Mauer also stands atop baseball history in this way.

Per @JayHayKid of the "Baseball is Dead" podcast on social media:

Joe Mauer had a .328 career batting average *as a catcher*.

No other player in MLB history hit higher than .320 as a catcher (min. 2000 PA).

Mauer was truly one of the best players of the 2000s and was also very popular as well. He was featured on the cover of the MLB The Show video game in 2011.

The Hall of Fame speeches begin at 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

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Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

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