Joe Mauer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Joe Mauer |
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Mauer with the Minnesota Twins in 2017
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| Catcher / First baseman | |||
| Born: April 19, 1983 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| April 5, 2004, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 30, 2018, for the Minnesota Twins | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Batting average | .306 | ||
| Hits | 2,123 | ||
| Home runs | 143 | ||
| Runs batted in | 923 | ||
| Teams | |||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2024 | ||
| Vote | 76.1% (first ballot) | ||
Joseph Patrick Mauer (born April 19, 1983) is an American former professional baseball catcher and first baseman. He played his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Minnesota Twins. Joe Mauer is known as one of the best hitters who played catcher. He is the only catcher in MLB history to win three batting titles. He is also the only catcher to ever win a batting title in the American League (AL).
The Twins picked Mauer first overall in the 2001 MLB draft. He was chosen for six All-Star teams. He won three Gold Glove Awards in a row (2008–2010). He also won five Silver Slugger Awards and the 2009 AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. In 2024, Mauer was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. This happened in his very first year of being eligible.
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High School Sports Star
Joe Mauer was a multi-sport athlete at St. Paul's Cretin-Derham Hall High School. He played football, basketball, and baseball. In his senior year, he made history. He was the only athlete ever named USA Today High School Player of the Year in both football (2000) and baseball (2001).
In 2009, Sports Illustrated magazine featured Mauer. They called his selection by the Minnesota Twins a "signature" moment. It was the first pick in the 2001 Major League Baseball draft.
Baseball Skills
Mauer went to the same high school as Baseball Hall of Famer Paul Molitor. Molitor later became Mauer's manager with the Twins. Molitor once said Mauer "has the best swing he had ever seen." Mauer's high school coach, Jim O'Neill, said Joe was "groomed for this job." Joe's dad, Jake, even made a hitting machine called the 'Quickswing' for him.
Mauer was so good he was asked to leave his T-ball league at age four. He was hitting the ball too hard for the other kids. He only struck out once in his four years of high school baseball. He hit an amazing .605 in his senior season. Mauer also set a Minnesota record by hitting a home run in seven games in a row. He played for the Team USA Junior National team from 1998 to 2000. He was voted best hitter at the World Junior Baseball Championship in 2000.
Basketball Skills
Mauer was also a star on the basketball court. He averaged over 20 points per game as a point guard. He was named to the All-State team in his last two years.
Football Skills
Mauer had a very successful high school football career. In 2000, he was featured in Sports Illustrated. As the Raiders' quarterback, he completed 66% of his passes. He threw for 3,022 yards and 41 touchdowns in his senior year. He led his team to two state championship games. They won the title in 1999.
Mauer won many awards for football. He was the 2001 Gatorade National Player of the Year. He was also named USA Today's Player of the Year. He was a Reebok/ESPN High School All-American. He was even named National High School Quarterback of the Year in 2000.
Professional Baseball Career
Draft and Minor Leagues
Joe Mauer had committed to play football at Florida State University. But he decided to enter the Major League Baseball Draft instead. The Twins picked him first overall in the 2001 draft. He was chosen before college pitcher Mark Prior. Mauer played in the All-Star Futures Game in 2003. He then joined the Twins in 2004.
Early Years: 2004–2005
Mauer played his first major league game on April 5, 2004. He got his first hit against the Cleveland Indians. A knee injury sidelined him for over a month. He returned in June but the injury ended his 2004 season early. In 2005, Mauer played his first full MLB season. He batted .294 with nine home runs.
Becoming a Star: 2006–2008
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In 2006, Mauer made history. He became the first catcher in American League history to win the batting title. He finished with an amazing .347 average. He was named American League Player of the Week in June. He also became MLB Player of the Month for June. Mauer was part of the first-ever single-team sweep of MLB's three monthly awards. He was selected for his first All-Star Game. He also appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Mauer won his first Silver Slugger Award in 2006. In 2007, he signed a four-year, $34 million contract with the Twins. This deal kept him in Minnesota to play at Target Field. He hit his first career inside-the-park home run in July 2007. Mauer finished the 2007 season batting .293.
In 2008, Mauer won his second AL batting title. He led the league with a .328 average. He was the starting catcher for the American League in the 2008 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Mauer won his first Gold Glove award in 2008.
MVP Season: 2009
In 2009, Mauer had an incredible year. He became the first catcher to lead the majors in batting average (.365). He also led in on-base percentage and slugging percentage. His .365 average was the highest by a catcher since 1901. Mauer also won his second straight Gold Glove. He was named the American League's 2009 MVP. He received almost all the first-place votes.
Mauer missed the start of the 2009 season due to a back injury. He returned on May 1 and hit a home run on his first swing. He had the best month of his career in May. He batted .414 with 11 home runs and 32 RBI. He was named MLB Player of the Week and Player of the Month. Mauer appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated again. He was selected as the starting catcher for the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
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The Twins were seven games behind in September. But they rallied to tie the division. They won a special playoff game against the Detroit Tigers. Mauer led the American League in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. He became the first catcher to lead the league in all four areas. He was also the first catcher to win three batting titles. Mauer set career highs in hits (191) and home runs (28).
Baseball America named Mauer its 2009 Major League Player of the Year. He also received both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award.
Later Career: 2010–2018
In 2010, Mauer signed an eight-year contract extension. It was the richest contract ever for a catcher. He hit a career-high seven runs batted in (RBI) in one game. He also got his 1,000th career Major League hit.
Mauer had knee surgery after the 2010 season. He missed most of spring training and the start of 2011. He returned in June 2011 to a standing ovation. Mauer played his first game at first base in July 2011. He even played in right field once. He struggled with injuries and played only 82 games in 2011.
In 2012, Mauer hoped to return to his top form. He was selected for his fifth All-Star Game. His batting average was .325 in the first half of the season. He broke a Twins franchise record for games played at catcher.
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Mauer was the Twins' Opening Day catcher in 2013. He also played first base and designated hitter. He was named to his sixth All-Star Game. In August, Mauer went on the disabled list with concussion-like symptoms. His season ended after 113 games. He hit .324 and earned the 2013 AL Silver Slugger Award.
After the 2013 season, the Twins moved Mauer to first base permanently. This was to protect him from more concussions. In 2014, he played 120 games. In 2015, he played a career-high 158 games. His defense at first base improved greatly.
Mauer started his 13th Opening Day in 2017. He tied a franchise record with Harmon Killebrew. He batted .305 with seven home runs. On April 12, 2018, Mauer got his 2,000th career hit. This made him the 287th player in MLB history to reach this milestone.
In his final game on September 30, 2018, Mauer played catcher for one pitch. It was his first time catching since his concussion in 2013. He received a huge standing ovation from everyone. He officially retired from baseball on November 9, 2018. The Twins retired his No. 7 jersey in 2019.
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| Joe Mauer's number 7 was retired by the Minnesota Twins in 2019. |
MLB Records
Mauer holds MLB single-season records for catchers. He has the highest batting average (.365) and on-base percentage (.444), both set in 2009. His career on-base percentage is the highest among major league catchers. Mauer is also the first AL catcher to win a batting title. He holds the record for the most batting titles by a catcher (3).
Career Statistics
In 1,858 games over 15 seasons, Mauer had a .306 batting average. He collected 2,123 hits, 1,018 runs, and 143 home runs. He also had 923 RBIs. He finished his career with a .995 fielding percentage at catcher. He had a .996 fielding percentage at first base.
Baseball Hall of Fame
Mauer became eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024. He received 76.1% of the votes. This was enough to be elected in his first year of eligibility. He was only the third catcher to be elected on his first try. He was also the first Hall of Famer to play his entire career in the 21st century.
International Play
Mauer was chosen to play for Team USA. He was a catcher and first baseman in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
Other Work and Appearances
Mauer modeled for Perry Ellis. He also appeared in TV commercials. These included ads for Head & Shoulders, Pepsi, ESPN, and Gatorade.
Mauer's family made and sold a product called Joe Mauer's Quickswing. His father invented this device. It helps kids practice hitting on their own. Mauer's Quickswing Camp is held every winter. It teaches young players baseball batting skills.
Mauer was the cover athlete for Sony Computer Entertainment's MLB 10: The Show and MLB 11: The Show games. These were for the PlayStation platform. The game's tagline, "Well played, Mauer," became famous. Twins announcer Dick Bremer even used it during a game.
Personal Life
Mauer lived with former Twins teammate Justin Morneau in Saint Paul, Minnesota. This was during the 2006 season. Mauer was known for his long sideburns. In 2006, the Twins had "Joe Mauer Sideburns Night." Fans received fake sideburns to wear.
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On December 11, 2011, Mauer announced his engagement. He married Maddie Bisanz, a nurse, in December 2012. She also went to Cretin-Derham Hall High School. Their twin daughters were born on July 24, 2013. In November 2018, they welcomed a son.
Family Members
Joe's older brother, Jake, was also drafted by the Twins in 2001. Jake later became a manager for Twins minor league teams. Joe's other brother, Billy, also played in the Twins organization. He retired due to shoulder problems. Billy now owns car dealerships.
Joe's father, Jake Mauer II, developed the Mauer Quickswing. Joe, his brothers, and Paul Molitor appeared in videos for it. Jake Mauer II passed away in January 2023. Joe's cousin, Ken Mauer, was an NBA referee. Another cousin, Mark Mauer, was a college football coach and player.
Images for kids
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Mauer with the Minnesota Twins in 2017
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Mauer swings the bat during a game in September 2006
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Mauer catching during the 2008 season
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Mauer in 2009
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Mauer (left) catching for the Twins in 2010
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Mauer (right) with Ichiro Suzuki at first base in 2018
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Joe Mauer's retired number 7
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Mauer at bat against Baltimore, Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
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Mauer in July 2008
- List of first overall Major League Baseball draft picks
- Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award
- Baseball America Major League Player of the Year
- List of Gold Glove Award winners at catcher
- List of Silver Slugger Award winners at catcher
- List of Major League Baseball batting champions
- List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders
- List of Major League Baseball career putouts as a catcher leaders
- List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise
