That isn’t new for the Twins either. This franchise just saw a previous top prospect in Joe Mauer be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Byron Buxton won’t reach that level, but he’ll likely finish in the organization’s Hall of Fame at some point. The ability to generate that level of talent is a must for a team with balance sheet restrictions.

Twins top prospect generates high praise

Walker Jenkins joined the Twins organization in 2023 when he was selected with the fifth overall pick. He is a consensus top-100 prospect, and will rank among the top ten when lists drop for 2025. MLB Pipeline recently polled front office executives and they all wish he were in their organizations as well.

When asked who baseball’s top overall prospect is, those executives gave Jenkins 6.1% of the vote. That ranks third behind only Boston’s Roman Anthony (44.9%) and Washington’s Dylan Crews (20.4%). Notably though, both those players are at least a year older thank Jenkins.

High-A HR No. 1 for Walker Jenkins!

MLB's No. 4 prospect (@Twins) rockets this one out in a hurry for the @CRKernels.

Watch LIVE: https://t.co/aKtGFgX9NB pic.twitter.com/UwtrkBaqht

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 24, 2024

Last season Jenkins finished at Double-A Wichita. It was just a six game sample size, but his 82-game season resulted in a .282/.394/.439 slash line. The outfielder launched six home runs with 22 doubles, four triples, and 17 steals.

It was a significant come up for the Twins to draft him, and the power combination along with his speed is something that will continue to serve him well. Jenkins also drew 11.1% of the vote for best hitting prospect (4th).

Related: Minnesota Twins Hire Former Player to Front Office Role

This season Jenkins will start at Double-A Wichita and should have every opportunity to reach Triple-A St. Paul. It’s unlikely that he makes his big league debut, but a talent this good isn’t worth putting a limit on either.

Prospect praise poured on multiple other Minnesota Twins

It wasn’t just Jenkins that shined when front office executives considered the strength of the Minnesota Twins system. Emmanuel Rodriguez is considered the second best prospect, but it’s Luke Keaschall who is being too overlooked.

34 different players received votes as the most underrated prospect, but Keaschall’s 6.4% paced them all. The second baseman and outfielder owned a .303/.420/.483 slash line while playing through a torn UCL. He swatted 15 home runs and stole 23 bases.

Luke Keaschall, the No. 54 prospect in MLB by @BaseballAmerica, launched his third HR in four days 💣

2-for-6
HR (105 mph)
2 RBI

His 2024 ranks amongst Double-A Texas League players (min. 200 PA):

OBP – 1st (.407)🥇
OPS – 2nd (.886)🥈
wOBA – 1st (.385)🥇#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/uda0hlusG3

— Twins Player Development (@TwinsPlayerDev) July 28, 2024

Keaschall should be good to go out of the gate for 2025. He’ll probably begin the year at Double-A Wichita, but with 58 games of strong production there, an argument could be made for Triple-A St. Paul.

Related: Exclusive: Twins Top Prospect Opens Up About Torn UCL That Eventually Ended His Season

Although Keaschall has played just 13 games at first base in his professional career, the Twins could push him in that direction and have him starting for Rocco Baldelli soon.

Historical Minnesota Twins prospects noted as well

As you look back over the course of major league history, there will always be talents that stand out beyond measure. Minnesota hasn’t had as many as some other franchises, but they have faired well at times.

Byron Buxton’s name came up in voting for the best minor league prospect ever. He dealt with plenty of adversity on his way to the big leagues, but was the top overall prospect in baseball on multiple occasions. His .944 OPS with 19 doubles and 18 triples in 125 games during the 2013 season was stuff of legend.

With Byron Buxton coming to Cedar Rapids this weekend, I went back in the archives and found some video of his time with the @CRKernels. @Twins pic.twitter.com/2qqsGkhNzw

— Josh Christensen (@JCSportsGuy) August 24, 2019

Joe Mauer was also noted as a candidate for being the best amateur prospect ever. With 4.8% of the vote, he came in sixth trailing only standouts like Paul Skenes, Bobby Witt Jr., Bryce Harper, Buster Posey, and Stephen Strasburg.

23 years ago joe mauer was hitting dingers as a high school player in front of the countdown to cooperstown banner for kirby puckett pic.twitter.com/VrhG3chZ3V

— parker hageman (@HagemanParker) July 19, 2024

Of course Mauer is the only player among that group to be enshrined in Cooperstown, and it remains to be seen whether any of the others mentioned will join him.

Related: Do the Minnesota Twins Really Have a Top 10 MLB Starting Rotation…?

The Twins are hoping Kaelen Culpepper can be their latest prospect success story after taking him in the first round of the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft.

Minnesota Twins Joe Mauer called best catching prospect

Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis have been covering baseball prospects for literal decades. Their work at MLB Pipeline dates back to 2004. They have seen it all with the Minnesota Twins, and every other organization across Major League Baseball. They haven’t ever seen someone quite like Joe Mauer though. Mayo looked back at the 34 lists MLB Pipeline has put out, and compiled a lineup with the best prospect at each position. For catcher, it was the Twins newest Hall of Famer.

“We’ll be tracking how Adley Rutschman continues to perform, but I can’t not pick our very first No. 1 prospect and the only prospect to date who is enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Six All-Star nods, five Silver Sluggers, three batting titles, three Gold Gloves, an MVP Award and a .306/.388/.439 line.“

Jonathan Mayo on Twins Joe Mauer for MLB Pipeline

Joe Mauer’s 55.2 bWAR comes in just above his 53.5 fWAR. Of course those numbers are splitting hairs, but the reality that matters is his first ballot enshrinement into Cooperstown. That’s quite the bar to clear, and something Rutschman will be tracking towards for the duration of his career.

Related: Details of Joe Mauer’s Target Field Statue Revealed

With Mauer as the gold standard from the catching position, it’s hard to think of anyone topping his peak given the position realities today.

What other Minnesota Twins could make MLB Pipeline’s future lineup?

Obviously an all-time lineup will feature plenty of players that will eventually find themselves enshrined in Cooperstown. That’s a pretty tough bar to clear, but there is an opening in the MLB Pipeline all-time lineup. That comes at second base and the Minnesota Twins have a couple of candidates.

The Atlanta Braves’ Ozzie Albies currently holds the position. His 21.5 bWAR is not otherworldly (for context, Byron Buxton has complied 24.1 bWAR) but he is just 27 years old. Of course Albies will continue to produce as a big leaguer, and the bar will push higher. Minnesota has some young studs that could come for the tally down the line though.

One for the record Brooks! 👏

Brooks Lee mashes his first Major League home run! pic.twitter.com/jtO6ClX0Sa

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 6, 2024

Brooks Lee immediately jumps off the page as a top talent that could find himself having an Albies sort of career. The hit tool is legit, and he’s more than capable of playing second base. If the power comes along as it has shown, then the sky could be the limit for his future. Luke Keaschall is also a top 100 prospect at this point, and 2024 first round pick Kaelen Culpepper could slide across the diamond.

Related: Exclusive: Twins Top Prospect Opens Up About Torn UCL That Eventually Ended His Season

Second base is traditionally not the most impressive position from a production standpoint. That gives Minnesota a chance for some of their brightest young stars to shine. We can revisit this discussion in the next 20 years.

Expect Minnesota Twins to go with traditional Joe Mauer position

Before fans embark upon Target Field in 2025, one guaranteed change is that a new Joe Mauer statue will be present. Target Field Plaza remains the most likely bet for Mauer’s statue positioning. Despite moving to first base later in his career, Pioneer Press columnist Charley Walters expects a positional representation.

“Joe Mauer’s Twins Target Field statue, to be complete next year, will represent him as a catcher even though he won three batting titles.”

Charley Walters on the expectation for Joe Mauer’s new statue

Although Mauer’s hitting prowess was notable, it was his work behind the plate that cemented his Hall of Fame resume. No catcher has ever won three batting titles, and seeing something represent his gear makes a lot of sense. Should the Minnesota Twins follow through with a catcher representation of Mauer, it would be the first Target Field statue to depict a position. Every other statue depicting a player near the ballpark reflects a batting pose.

Joe Mauer pens personal letter to #MNTwins fans: https://t.co/sSC7u1PZbf pic.twitter.com/QS8L55kLrL

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) November 9, 2018

Multiple different poses for Mauer could work. A couple of iconic images from his final game would make a good deal of sense. The locker room scene of Mauer gearing up one last time could work. The most straightforward decision would be his farewell wave from home plate. No matter what, you can bet that Mauer supporters will show up in droves for the occasion.

Related: Minnesota Twins are Dangerously Close to Being the Best Team in the American League

One of the more fan-friendly and unique features, both inside and out at Target Field, is the quasi-museum of local baseball history that is stashed there, much of which stretches far beyond the pro team that came from Washington DC 50 years ago.

But when it comes to Twins history, you see permanent pennants hang on the edges of the main plaza, depicting the greatest players to ever wear the TC or M logo hat. The true legends, though, they get a larger than life full-body bronze statue erected outside the near 15-year-old baseball stadium.

And according to Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press, Joe Mauer is next on the statue list for the Pohlads. In the ‘Don’t print that…’ section of his bi-weekly column, Charley writes,“it’s not a matter of if, but when the Twins will erect a statue of Joe Mauer at Target Field”.

Minnesota Twins Joe Mauer statue coming to Target Field

Mauer is scheduled to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 21st and he was inducted into the Minnesota high school hall of fame on Monday night. But clearly, there’s more bronze in Joe’s future. Currently, there are only four Twins legends — Kirby Puckett, Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew and Tony Oliva — who have earned the honor.

The placement of Mauer’s statue remains to be seen and so does the date of its erection. Charley reported, in 2022, that Jim Kaat and Bert Blyleven would be next on that exclusive list. We’ll see if Mauer jumps them on the bronze totem pole. Nonetheless, Walters (a former Twin) reports that it will happen soon enough.

It's Joe Mauer's birthday! 🥳

Aka, a national holiday, right? 😏 pic.twitter.com/ELCS68A4qC

— Bally Sports North (@BallySportsNOR) April 19, 2024

Beyond his impending statue, Mauer will probably have his number seven placed at an entrance somewhere around Target Field, per stadium tradition. Gate 34, next to Kirby, would make sense. That area is currently home to the Twins ‘Creator’s Corner’, as well as their lawn games and the largest beer tap stand in the stadium. By splitting up some of the metal sections in that area, construction and redesign would likely be minimal.

Related: Official: Joe Mauer is a 1st Ballot MLB Hall of Famer

Mauer going into the Hall of Fame on his first try was hardly a guarantee. But here we are. And soon, he’ll become the youngest Hall of Famer alive. It only makes sense to celebrate his contributions to the Minnesota Twins franchise outside of Target Field for decades to come. He’s Mr. Minnesota, after all.

Joe Mauer Named MLB 1st Ballot Hall of Famer

Only 58 players have ever reached the MLB Hall of Fame on their first attempt. Former Twin David Ortiz was the last to accomplish the feat (2023). But on Tuesday, Joe Mauer officially became a future 1st ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee. Joining him in the 2024 class are Adrian Beltre and Todd Helton.

From hometown hero to Hall of Famer!

Minnesota native Joe Mauer is headed to Cooperstown on the first ballot! pic.twitter.com/uUodtxly2v

— MLB (@MLB) January 23, 2024

Mauer played parts of 10 seasons as Twins catcher, pretty good longevity for such a grueling position. He caught 923 games and stepped in the box for 3,943 plate appearances with a “C” next to his name in the scorebook. Younger baseball fans might be surprised to learn that Joe played just 5 seasons as a 1st baseman, a position he also excelled at defensively.

Related: Joe Mauer is More than Baseball

Joe Mauer as Minnesota Twins Catcher

Twins fans 30 years and older will always remember him as the best catcher in baseball, because that’s what he was for his first decade in the MLB. From 2004 to 2013, Mauer carried a .323 BA, .873 OPS, 135 OPS+ and he walked (616) more times than he struck out (564). How crazy is that, as a baseball fan in 2024? More walks than strikeouts…?

Joe Mauer won 3 Gold Gloves, 5 Silver Sluggers and 3 AL batting titles, all behind the dish. Mauer’s .323 batting average while playing catcher is the best in MLB history (over 3,000 PA) and he’s the only American League catcher EVER to win a batting title, which he did three times between 2006 and 2009.

Mauer after catching

But concussion problems in 2013 forced a moved to first base and prompted a falloff at the plate. From 2014 to 2018, Mauer had a .278 BA, .746 OPS, 105 OPS+ and his strikeouts (470) far exceeded his walks (323).

Mauer will join six other Twins that have made the Hall of Fame, and whose names are forever etched into Twins Territory. Mauer also has a special place in our hearts as fans because he is Minnesota grown. Not only was he a standout baseball star in high school at Cretin-Derham Hall, but he also excelled at football.

So much so that Florida State head coach Jim Bowden had all but promised him the starting QB spot coming out of high school, before Mauer eventually entered and was drafted #1 overall by the Minnesota Twins.

Happy Joe Mauer makes the Hall of Fame Day for all who celebrate. Greatest MN HS athlete of all time. pic.twitter.com/uKteSYeBDF

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) January 23, 2024

Mauer made it into Cooperstown by FOUR votes…

Mauer entered the final days before today’s announcement at about 83% of counted ballots and he’s felt like a lock for weeks. But per usual, the late votes that were never made public threw every projection for a loop and nearly cost Joe the 75% needed to make it.

How close? He’s being inducted next month thanks to FOUR votes that went his way. Had less than a handful of over 350 voters not checked Mauer, he’d be sitting at home and hoping for the best next year. Incredible.

Results: pic.twitter.com/QJ8hIstrSk

— Ryan Thibodaux (@NotMrTibbs) January 23, 2024

Of course, those assumptions were nonsensical. For those of us who have actually dug into the subject, it has always been more about ‘when’ we would eventually hear Mauer’s HOF speech, not ‘if’.

Joe Mauer projected as 1st Ballot HOF Lock

Anybody who even skims over Mauer’s Hall of Fame resume vs other catchers already enshrined in Cooperstown (keep reading), will quickly realize how much of an absolute lock the St. Paul native really is to grab the 75% HOF votes needed to be enshrined.

Related: Minnesota Twins Could Receive Financial Lifeline Soon via New TV Deal

And as soon as 2024 votes started coming, it quickly became clear Joe Mauer had a chance to get in on his first try. Weeks later, nearly 1/3 of the expected 384 Major League Baseball 2024 Hall of Fame ballots have been unofficially counted, and now his immediate induction is looking like a lock.

According to Ryan Thibodaux’s (@NotMrTibbs on X) online tracker — which all media outlets are using to count votes prior to the official inductees being announced on January 23 — Mauer has collected 101 of 116 possible votes (82.1%). Based on recent history and voting tendencies, that gives Joe Mauer a 96% chance of eventually gaining the 288 total votes needed to get in.

Updated Hall of Fame projections with 123 ballots in @NotMrTibbs's Tracker. Mauer's chances of election remain very promising, but it looks like we'll be on the edge of our seat on January 23 waiting to see if Helton or Wagner received enough votes pic.twitter.com/tqpTEllU03

— Jason Sardell (@sarsdell) January 6, 2024

How is Mauer such a lock, while guys like Todd Helton — who has collected the same number of votes (101) as Mauer thus far — has just a 35% chance of being inducted? This is where their projection and analytical models come into play, which are based on voter tendencies and how late votes have come in historically.

For Mauer, specifically, it’s because he is doing well with “small hall” voters, or voters who appreciated old school baseball numbers and metrics (BA, RBI, etc) and put less emphasis on some of the newer statistical categories like OPS+, Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and Win Probability (WPA).

It's mostly because Mauer is doing much better than Helton with "small Hall" voters. And voters like that are over-represented in the remaining set of ballots.

— Jason Sardell (@sarsdell) January 7, 2024

Joe Mauer is one of the best catchers in MLB history, no matter how you measure.

Mauer played parts of 10 seasons in Minnesota as a catcher, which is relatively good longevity for the position. He caught 923 games and racked up 3943 plate appearances while behind the dish, defensively. He played just 5 seasons as a primary 1st baseman, a position he also excelled at defensively.

During his decade catching (2004-2013) Mauer won MLB MVP in 2009, something done by a catcher just 18 times in baseball history — which goes back to 1871, in case you weren’t aware — and only twice since the turn of the millenium (Buster Posey – 2012).

Related: Twins Sign Relief Pitcher Josh Staumont

As a catcher, Joe won 3 Gold Gloves, 5 Silver Sluggers and 3 AL batting titles. Mauer’s .323 batting average while playing catcher is the best in MLB history (over 3,000 PA) and he’s the only American League catcher EVER to win a batting title, which he did three times between 2006 and 2009.

Just three National League catchers have done it but Buster Posey (2012 – NL) is the only other batting champion in the last 81 years (since Ernie Lombardi in 1942) who had to strap up his catcher’s gear every half inning before taking the field on defense.

Is it time for Minnesota Twins fans to rethink their views on Mauer?

Those who didn’t believe that Joe Mauer would even make the Hall of Fame, let alone be a 1st ballot inductee, were focused way too much on negative bias created toward the end of his career and in the time he spent injured.

Hall of Fame voters don’t really care about that, nor do they even remember his injuries prior to concussions forcing him out from behind the plate in 2014. They care about overall numbers and longevity, along with how your prime years compare with the best at your position. These national media members can’t rely on their own personal memories of player they probably never covered.

Related: Bally Sports North May Stream Timberwolves, Twins and Wild on Amazon Prime

Yes, there are a handful or two (maybe even three) of MLB Hall of Fame voters whose ballots should probably never be counted. They don’t care about the process or the importance of their vote and send in ballots based on favoritism and nothing else.

But for the most part, the 384 MLB HOF voters take their responsibility seriously, spending requisite amounts of time doing research and putting thought into their ballots. And that’s why Joe Mauer has always been an eventual Cooperstown lock.

In Major League Baseball, a league where 162 games are played by each team every season, it’s the overall statistics and individual accolades that set the best of the best apart from everyone else. And few catchers in MLB history have the numbers on their Baseball-Reference page or the awards in their trophy cases that Joe Mauer has.

It’s not that Mauer doesn’t have a Hall of Fame résumé. The former MVP has one of the greatest catcher resumes of any major leaguer in baseball history. It includes six All-Star appearances, five Silver Sluggers, three Gold Gloves and three batting titles.

On this day in 2009 Joe Mauer is named MVP. His production that season was unprecedented from the catcher position: .365/.444/.587 with more walks (76) than K’s (63) and his OPS+ of 171 was a league best. No one has hit .365 or better since… pic.twitter.com/4ZTmFxO5kV

— Jeff (@MNTwinsZealot) November 24, 2023

Mauer is and forever will be considered one of the greatest catchers of all time, for the 10 years he played the position. But more than any other major professional American sports league, the MLB Hall of Fame is the toughest to crack, especially on a player’s first try.

Related: Twins Aren’t the Only MLB Team Cutting Payroll and Blaming TV Revenue

Don’t rule Joe Mauer out as a 1st ballot Hall of Famer just yet

Had Mauer played at an MVP-type level at catcher for his entire career, he’d be a shoe-in. But concussions and a move out from behind the plate dropped Joe’s numbers at the plate noticeably toward the end of the year. But don’t count him out as a 1st ballot inductee just yet.

In the 13 ballots that have been made public, Mauer has been voted in on 80% of them. Candidates must receive 75% of the votes to reach the MLB Hall of Fame. It’s early (nearly 400 ballots were cast for last year’s class), but at least for now, these early results have The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman convinced “it’s at least possible”.

I don’t think Joe Mauer will reach the 75 percent threshold on this first ballot, although most of the early ballots being made public with votes for Mauer have convinced me it’s at least possible.

Aaron Gleeman – The Athletic

The conversation no longer centers around whether or not Mauer can make it into The Hall. It’s been more about when he’ll be inducted. Mauer does have some factors working in his favor with this year’s HOF class, too. The best players on the ballot are all marked by some sort of link to PEDs.

Related: Twins Aren’t the Only MLB Team Cutting Payroll and Blaming TV Revenue

The best example is Minnesota Timberwolves minority owner, Alex Rodriguez played 22 major league seasons and won three MVPs but will forever live as one of the main faces of MLB’s steroid era. He’s on his 3rd attempt at the Hall of Fame and he’s been unable to garner even 36% of votes.

It’s not about ‘if’ for the Minnesota Twins legend, just ‘when’

For Mauer, there are no such concerns when it comes to integrity of play. Mauer was known for having one of the purest swings and best set of eyes in baseball, the moment he stepped into an MLB batter’s box.

Sure, he could have played a few more seasons to strengthen his case, but the St. Paul native still seems to have enough of a case to make the Hall of Fame eventually, even if it’s not on his first attempt.

Related: 4 Starting Pitchers the Minnesota Twins Should Target in Trade Talks

Only 58 players have ever reached the MLB Hall of Fame on their first attempt. Former Twin David Ortiz was the last to accomplish the feat, which came last year.

Jim Thome is another former Twin who became a first-ballot Hall of Famer. Other popular Twins to receive the rare honor on their first try include Paul Molitor, Kirby Puckett, Dave Winfield, and Rod Carew. Will Mauer join them?

Introducing the newest member of the Twins Hall of Fame:

???????????? ???????????????????? pic.twitter.com/0BA8aXSixr

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) January 27, 2023

Mauer absolutely belongs up there with the other Twins greats who preceded him. He’s a career .306 hitter with an impressive .827 OPS. He won an MVP in 2009 and came in top-10 in three other seasons.

Joe Mauer by the numbers

It was Joe’s first 11 seasons, when he was the best catcher in baseball, that Twins’ fans 30 years and older will always remember him for. From 2004 to 2013, Mauer carried a .323 BA, .873 OPS, 135 OPS+ and he walked (616) more times than he struck out (564).

But concussion problems in 2013 forced a moved to first base and prompted a falloff at the plate. From 2014 to 2018, Mauer had a .278 BA, .746 OPS, 105 OPS+ and his strikeouts (470) far exceeded his walks (323).

Twins announce Joe Mauer will be inducted into the team Hall of Fame this year.

– 2009 AL MVP
– 6x All-Star
– 5x Silver Slugger
– 3x Batting Title
– 3x Gold Glove

Mauer is 1 of 4 hitters with 50+ WAR in a Twins uniform, along with Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, and Kirby Puckett.

— Aaron Gleeman (@AaronGleeman) January 27, 2023