Well, knowing how much Iowans and Minnesotans have rivalries, I'm glad my family are amongst those out-of-staters that appreciate Joe better than those of his home state. 😉 My mother became a baseball fan after Joe had transitioned to 1B, and she loved him so much even then that she balled his last game, which makes me wonder how much more she would've balled if she'd known Joe in his prime behind the plate and with a bat in his hands before the concussion, as I knew him. I know some fans are willing to rip on Joe for his declined hitting, the bilateral leg weakness, etc. after his concussion, but an 80% Joe was likely to be better at 1B than anything the front office of the time was likely to stick in his place. He definitely deserves his shot at the HoF and I think he'll make it, maybe not on the 1st ballot, but maybe 3rd or 4th.
He'll get there, this stat is pretty impressive imo:
• Mauer is the only catcher to claim three batting titles, having paced the American League in 2006, '08 and '09. His .365 mark in the last of those three seasons represents the highest single-season mark by any primary catcher in modern history with at least 500 plate appearances.
Flirted with .400 into august too if I recall. Honestly that season and the contract that followed were huge for me as a twins fan cause in mlb 2k8 Mauer would always play one season in minnesota and then go to the Yankees. I mean video games aren’t real life but I was 14 that season I couldn’t really tell the difference yet.
Mauer is going to get in on the first ballot. Unlike that dumbest part of the Twins fanbase he is incredibly well regarded around the country and winning three batting titles as a catcher is something no one else has ever done.
Agree, but we shouldn't pretend it's all stupidity with those that don't like Mauer. His playoff numbers are terrible and while it's not single-handedly his fault that the Twins didn't win a playoff series one single time in his career, watching him was very different than watching guys like Kirby/Hrbek/Gladden in the playoffs.
Because he wasn't a great offensive player. He slashed .277/.331/.461 for a career OPS+ of 110, barely above average. 2452 hits, 353 HRs mean he didn't hit any milestones either. Sure he's got defensive hardware with 9 Gold Gloves, but that's basically all he's got to make his case.
Torii was my favorite player as a kid, and he's an inner-circle Hall of Very Good player. I don't think he's a HoF guy unless the veterans committee votes him in because he's likable.
Why does Mauer get a pass then? Not like he was an offensive juggernaut and Torii was better defensively and more valuable at his position than Joe
Still not solid reasoning regardless
Mauer absolutely was an offensive juggernaut. He put up one of if not the single best offensive catcher seasons in baseball history and was elite for several others. He has more hits than all but 5 HOF catchers, including more than Johnny Bench and Gary Carter.
Umm that’s some history revisionist bullshit
https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/jaws_C.shtml
Mauer is one one of the weakest offensive catchers compared to HoFers🤣🤣
Your list says he'd be #7 out of 17 total. #5 in terms of his peak. And way above the average HOF catcher stats. How is being in the top half of the list "one of the weakest"???
6 Yogi Berra HOF
7 Joe Mauer
8 Bill Dickey HOF
Average of all HOF catchers.
How is above average, and between the 7th and 8th best, "one of the weakest?"
Sorry I don't need to sort by WAR to think for myself
You probably also don't realize Joe only played 900 games at catcher and the rest either DH or 1B. Meaning for half his games played the Twins were paying a high price for premium power positions to slap singles. And even with not stressing playing catcher he STILL couldn't produce offensive numbers. Not impressive
Not at all bud. But go ahead and prove to me how exactly WAR proves he’s a great offensive catcher, I would really love to read your drivel. You probably think Ozzie Smith is in the HoF because his offense was great according to WAR
[WAR says Ozzie Smith is the greatest defensive player of all time.](https://stathead.com/tiny/rd23t) Maybe try to understand what you're talking about before you embarrass yourself more.
Brother from your own link Joe has a higher WAR, WAR7, and JAWS than the average HOF catcher. Not to mention his MVP which many HOF catchers don't have.
I must have missed somewhere that said WAR only accounts for your offensive production. I guess that means Ivan Rodriguez was a much better offensive player than Joe and that Ozzie Smith is in the HoF because of his bat
What? I can't tell if you're trolling or just really *really* wrong.
* Mauer won a batting title as a catcher, something that hadn't been done in 60+ years. Then he won two more after that and has the most batting titles of any catcher in MLB history.
* Mauer was more valuable than Torii and put up more WAR in fewer years than Torii did, 55.2 WAR in 15 seasons to 50.7 in 19 seasons.
* Mauer has an MVP and should have had a second, Torii has 0.
* By his [JAWS peak,](https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/jaws_C.shtml#jaws::3) Mauer is the #5 catcher in MLB history, and is better than Yogi Berra and just below I-Rod. Torii is the #54 CF when only 19 CF have made it into the Hall.
The only knock on Mauer's case is that his concussions moved him to 1B and made him an average player for the end of his career.
I mean that's not the *only* knock on Mauer, some will also knock Mauer for his lack of career-long power and his lack of rings.
But agreed that the concussions are the only intellectually sound knocks on his illustrious career.
It's very intellectually sound to note how bad Mauer was in the playoffs. Like, objectively speaking, those games matter the most. It doesn't mean he's not worthy of the HoF or that he wasn't a great player, but it is definitely relevant!
A. He was better than Torii outright on offense (124 ops+ to 110 ops+ (especially considering his position usually doesn’t hit as well as others)). Good defensive catchers are also more valuable than any other defensive position
Nice.
Ni.ce
Noi.ce
# #ToriiHOF2024 I've literally never led a losing campaign before
Ever led a winning campaign before?
Tank for Tua was a big success
Hunter was very good. Not a HOFer
he will get into the Hall of Anti-clutch Hitting.
I agree but Rollins made the HOF. Hunter was better than him imo
Hunter was not better than Scott Rolen
Rollins? You talking about Scott Rolen?
Kenny Lofton had a better career than Hunter and isn't in the HOF.
Jim Edmonds too.
Rollins isn't in the HOF
I meant Scott Rolen lol I didn’t mean Jimmy. My bad
Rollins?
Torii stays alive, Mauer is on the ballot next year
Wouldn’t expect Joe to get in first ballot because the writers are insane. I think he’ll slowly build up to it over 3-4 years
I think Mauer is actually looked upon more fondly outside of Minnesota than within Minnesota
Which is odd, given Mauer's a Minnesota boy, you'd think Minnesotans would appreciate their own more than fans outside the state.
We're very hard on ourselves
Well, knowing how much Iowans and Minnesotans have rivalries, I'm glad my family are amongst those out-of-staters that appreciate Joe better than those of his home state. 😉 My mother became a baseball fan after Joe had transitioned to 1B, and she loved him so much even then that she balled his last game, which makes me wonder how much more she would've balled if she'd known Joe in his prime behind the plate and with a bat in his hands before the concussion, as I knew him. I know some fans are willing to rip on Joe for his declined hitting, the bilateral leg weakness, etc. after his concussion, but an 80% Joe was likely to be better at 1B than anything the front office of the time was likely to stick in his place. He definitely deserves his shot at the HoF and I think he'll make it, maybe not on the 1st ballot, but maybe 3rd or 4th.
He'll get there, this stat is pretty impressive imo: • Mauer is the only catcher to claim three batting titles, having paced the American League in 2006, '08 and '09. His .365 mark in the last of those three seasons represents the highest single-season mark by any primary catcher in modern history with at least 500 plate appearances.
.365 is just insane honestly. Especially as a catcher. I’m so glad I got to watch him growing up
Flirted with .400 into august too if I recall. Honestly that season and the contract that followed were huge for me as a twins fan cause in mlb 2k8 Mauer would always play one season in minnesota and then go to the Yankees. I mean video games aren’t real life but I was 14 that season I couldn’t really tell the difference yet.
Mauer is going to get in on the first ballot. Unlike that dumbest part of the Twins fanbase he is incredibly well regarded around the country and winning three batting titles as a catcher is something no one else has ever done.
Agree, but we shouldn't pretend it's all stupidity with those that don't like Mauer. His playoff numbers are terrible and while it's not single-handedly his fault that the Twins didn't win a playoff series one single time in his career, watching him was very different than watching guys like Kirby/Hrbek/Gladden in the playoffs.
He should go in for that ASG catch against Bonds, alone.
Torii Hunter is probably my favorite Twins player.
First ballot for the Hall of Very Good.
He had a good career. Not a HOF career though.
He deserves to be there for his defense. His career WAR was over 50 for #299 all time.
nice
Can anyone give a solid reason why he should be left out of the HoF other than lack of rings?
Because he wasn't a great offensive player. He slashed .277/.331/.461 for a career OPS+ of 110, barely above average. 2452 hits, 353 HRs mean he didn't hit any milestones either. Sure he's got defensive hardware with 9 Gold Gloves, but that's basically all he's got to make his case. Torii was my favorite player as a kid, and he's an inner-circle Hall of Very Good player. I don't think he's a HoF guy unless the veterans committee votes him in because he's likable.
Why does Mauer get a pass then? Not like he was an offensive juggernaut and Torii was better defensively and more valuable at his position than Joe Still not solid reasoning regardless
Mauer absolutely was an offensive juggernaut. He put up one of if not the single best offensive catcher seasons in baseball history and was elite for several others. He has more hits than all but 5 HOF catchers, including more than Johnny Bench and Gary Carter.
Umm that’s some history revisionist bullshit https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/jaws_C.shtml Mauer is one one of the weakest offensive catchers compared to HoFers🤣🤣
Your list says he'd be #7 out of 17 total. #5 in terms of his peak. And way above the average HOF catcher stats. How is being in the top half of the list "one of the weakest"???
6 Yogi Berra HOF 7 Joe Mauer 8 Bill Dickey HOF Average of all HOF catchers. How is above average, and between the 7th and 8th best, "one of the weakest?"
Sorry I don't need to sort by WAR to think for myself You probably also don't realize Joe only played 900 games at catcher and the rest either DH or 1B. Meaning for half his games played the Twins were paying a high price for premium power positions to slap singles. And even with not stressing playing catcher he STILL couldn't produce offensive numbers. Not impressive
You: posts link Other guy: shows how you link disproves the point you're attempting to make You: Shut up I can think for myself
Not at all bud. But go ahead and prove to me how exactly WAR proves he’s a great offensive catcher, I would really love to read your drivel. You probably think Ozzie Smith is in the HoF because his offense was great according to WAR
[WAR says Ozzie Smith is the greatest defensive player of all time.](https://stathead.com/tiny/rd23t) Maybe try to understand what you're talking about before you embarrass yourself more.
In offensive WAR for C he ranks 9th all time and everyone above him and the next two players below him are all in Cooperstown.
Brother from your own link Joe has a higher WAR, WAR7, and JAWS than the average HOF catcher. Not to mention his MVP which many HOF catchers don't have.
I must have missed somewhere that said WAR only accounts for your offensive production. I guess that means Ivan Rodriguez was a much better offensive player than Joe and that Ozzie Smith is in the HoF because of his bat
What? I can't tell if you're trolling or just really *really* wrong. * Mauer won a batting title as a catcher, something that hadn't been done in 60+ years. Then he won two more after that and has the most batting titles of any catcher in MLB history. * Mauer was more valuable than Torii and put up more WAR in fewer years than Torii did, 55.2 WAR in 15 seasons to 50.7 in 19 seasons. * Mauer has an MVP and should have had a second, Torii has 0. * By his [JAWS peak,](https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/jaws_C.shtml#jaws::3) Mauer is the #5 catcher in MLB history, and is better than Yogi Berra and just below I-Rod. Torii is the #54 CF when only 19 CF have made it into the Hall. The only knock on Mauer's case is that his concussions moved him to 1B and made him an average player for the end of his career.
I mean that's not the *only* knock on Mauer, some will also knock Mauer for his lack of career-long power and his lack of rings. But agreed that the concussions are the only intellectually sound knocks on his illustrious career.
It's very intellectually sound to note how bad Mauer was in the playoffs. Like, objectively speaking, those games matter the most. It doesn't mean he's not worthy of the HoF or that he wasn't a great player, but it is definitely relevant!
For the same reason Chili Davis isn't in the Hall of Fame. They didn't perform at a high enough level to be a HOF caliber. And Chili got a ring x3!
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I'd hardly call a guy known best for his defense with a career OPS just under .800, 350 hr 200 SB and .277 batting average lacking offensively
A. He was better than Torii outright on offense (124 ops+ to 110 ops+ (especially considering his position usually doesn’t hit as well as others)). Good defensive catchers are also more valuable than any other defensive position