Ranking the 5 MVP Seasons From Minnesota Twins History

 

(the only reason WAR puts Mauer's 2009 up/over Killebrew's 1969 and/or Carew's 1977 is because of the positions they played

Of course it's because of the positions they played. That's exactly the point. Being a top-flight catcher was a big part of what made him the best baseball player in the world in 2009. It's far more valuable than being a top-flight first baseman.

Of course it's because of the positions they played. That's exactly the point. Being a top-flight catcher was a big part of what made him the best baseball player in the world in 2009. It's far more valuable than being a top-flight first baseman.

It's hard to call Mauer a catcher when you look at his entire body of work.  Literally 40% of his work was at first base and DH.  That wasn't the case with Gary Carter, Yogi Berra, Mike Piazza, or even John Bench (who played multiple positions).  There is something to that.

We have to be mindful of the fact that the catcher angle only applies to 60% of his career, so when people generalize and speak about the totality of his career it is flawed.  We cannot put him in the same category as the great catchers for that reason.  Considerations need to get made.  It doesn't matter if they aren't made here or even if that concept is accepted here.  It WILL factor into the judging process when writers from around the country vote and if Mauer isn't inducted I really don't want to see this place go berserk.

The HOF isn't that important to me unless a guy gets totally robbed.  If Mauer isn't inducted in the first round or even the second or third we should not be angry or shocked.  He is borderline to me.  His production dropped way too soon after that amazing 2009 season

It's hard to call Mauer a catcher when you look at his entire body of work.  Literally 40% of his work was at first base and DH.  That wasn't the case with Gary Carter, Yogi Berra, Mike Piazza, or even John Bench (who played multiple positions).  There is something to that.

 

We have to be mindful of the fact that the catcher angle only applies to 60% of his career, so when people generalize and speak about the totality of his career it is flawed.  We cannot put him in the same category as the great catchers for that reason.  Considerations need to get made.  It doesn't matter if they aren't made here or even if that concept is accepted here.  It WILL factor into the judging process when writers from around the country vote and if Mauer isn't inducted I really don't want to see this place go berserk.

 

The HOF isn't that important to me unless a guy gets totally robbed.  If Mauer isn't inducted in the first round or even the second or third we should not be angry or shocked.  He is borderline to me.  His production dropped way too soon after that amazing 2009 season

That's all well and good, but it's irrelevant to this discussion. This discussion is about Mauer's 2009 season and how it ranks with the other four Minnesota Twins MVP seasons. And that season is quite likely the best season a catcher has ever had.

Of course it's because of the positions they played. That's exactly the point. Being a top-flight catcher was a big part of what made him the best baseball player in the world in 2009. It's far more valuable than being a top-flight first baseman.

I remember all these seasons. 1969 was actually the year Carew became my favorite player. He was 'cooler' than Killebrew (which was hugely important)...and 1969 was his first batting title. All three (with Carew's 1977) of these seasons were special...they weren't 'normal' MVP seasons...they were historical. I could easily go along with putting Mauer's season on par with Carew's 1977 based on Carew was playing 1B. But, not Killebrew's 1969. It's a good talker for sure.

My point with WAR...the defensive component inconsistencies/flaws warp apples-to-apples WAR comparisons. Does his playing catcher in 2009 (and playing it well) add to Mauer's value (relative to Killebrew in 1969)? Well...yes. But how and how much is the issues when we're doing the comparison.

In 2009, Mauer started 105 games at catcher. In 57 games someone else was the starting catcher for the Twins in 2009. Mauer played 109 games total in the field. In 1969 Killebrew started all 162 games in the field (mostly at 3rd base). He was on the field for over 93 percent of all defensive inning across the entire season. He had decent hands limited range, accurate arm. He committed 22 errors (in an era when errors were awarded). It's not like Killebrew was costing the Twins games. Meanwhile, Killebrew's offensive 1969 was better than Mauer's 2009. Yet, Mauer's bWAR comes out 26% higher than Killebrew's. I don't buy that. At all.