A Joe Mauer statue is coming to Target Field in 2025

The Hall of Famer will be honored with a bronze statue outside the downtown Minneapolis ballpark.

Minnesota Twins former player Joe Mauer throws a ceremonial pitch as the team honors his recent induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame before a game against the Chicago White Sox at Target Field in Minneapolis on Aug. 3, 2024. / Bruce Kluckhohn / USA TODAY Sports

A new statue is coming to Target Field in 2025. 

The Twins will build a statue of Joe Mauer, who became the seventh player in franchise history to be enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in July, outside the downtown Minneapolis ballpark next season. Paul Molitor delivered the exciting news to the Target Field crowd in a pregame celebration Saturday night honoring Mauer's recent induction into the Hall of Fame.

Mauer’s statue will join those of Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Kirby Puckett, Carl and Eloise Pohlad, Tony Oliva, Kent Hrbek and Tom Kelly outside Target Field on a yet to be determined date during the 2025 season. It will be the first new statue erected at the field since Kelly's in 2017. 

“Joe Mauer is a Hall of Fame player and person, and one of the best to ever wear a Minnesota Twins uniform,” Twins executive chair Joe Pohlad said in a statement. “… The memories he created for a generation of his fellow Minnesotans will always be cherished, and it is only fitting that our ballpark has a permanent celebration of our hometown baseball hero. On behalf of our organization and Twins fans everywhere, we are thrilled to honor Joe Mauer’s legacy with a Target Field statue.”

Mauer is the fourth St. Paul, Minn., native to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, joining Molitor, Jack Morris and Dave Winfield, who all also played for the Twins. Molitor and Morris were in attendance and spoke during the pregame ceremony, while Winfield, unable to attend, gave a video tribute.

St. Paul ➡️ @baseballhall pic.twitter.com/Unw8556Itb

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) August 3, 2024

"We are proud to have Joe as the fourth member of the Hall of Fame from St. Paul, Minnesota," Molitor said.

Mauer, Molitor and Morris each threw out the first pitch.

There were always lofty expectations for Mauer, whom the Twins selected with the top overall pick in the 2001 draft. Mauer met all of those expectations and then some, becoming just the third (Puckett, Carew) first-ballot Hall of Famer in Twins franchise history.

“Joe never shied away from any of it, in fact, he embraced it,” Molitor said. 

The Target Field crowd was thrilled to celebrate Mauer's induction, giving a roaring applause as Mauer took to the podium for his speech. For Mauer, it was always the fans that made the game so special.

“Every time I put on my uniform and stepped on this field, I wanted to make you proud,” Mauer said. 

"Tonight, I want to thank all of you!"

- Hear Joe Mauer's National Baseball Hall of Fame Celebration speech.#MNTwins #MLB pic.twitter.com/MvGM0OPhgN

— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) August 3, 2024

He certainly did.