Twins legend Joe Mauer makes National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot
MINNEAPOLIS — Former Minnesota Twins great Joe Mauer has earned his first shot at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
The hall announced the names on the 2024 ballot Monday and Mauer is one 12 new candidates. Fourteen holdovers from last year's ballot are also eligible.
Mauer, a hometown kid who grew up in St. Paul and was a multisport athlete for Cretin-Derham Hall, was drafted first overall by the Twins in 2001. He made his MLB debut in 2004 and spent his entire career with the team, retiring in 2018. He won three batting titles, the most ever for a catcher, and was named American League MVP in 2009. He finished his career with a .306 batting average and 143 home runs.
Mauer spent most of his career at catcher before transitioning to first base, mainly due to injuries.
Minnesota retired Mauer's No. 7 jersey in 2019 and inducted him into the Twins Hall of Fame last summer. At his induction, Twins President and CEO Dave St. Peter said "few players are as synonymous with Minnesota Twins baseball than Joe Mauer."
Also on the ballot this year is Bartolo Colon, aka Big Sexy, who spent a year with the Twins during the sunset of his career.
To make the Hall of Fame, a player must be named on 75% of ballots. The voting results will be revealed Jan. 23. If Mauer makes it, he would be the seventh Twin inducted, after Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Kirby Puckett, Bert Blyleven, Jim Kaat and Tony Oliva. The Washington Senators, who became the Twins after moving to Minnesota, also sent six players to the Hall of Fame.
Note: The video above originally aired Aug. 5, 2023.
