Why doesn't Joe stand 4 inches closer to the plate to more easily cover the outside of the plate and be able to pull or at least put the ball hard back up the middle? I don't ever see him get brushed back, so dare the pitcher to move you off the plate a bit -- and maybe get an middle-in mistake and launch it. There's still quite a margin between his stance and the plate, so the pitcher would really have to be throwing deep inside to worry Mauer with his concussion history, but may that has something to do with it anyway. Get closer to the plate. Then you make every pitcher and defense adjust to your adjustment. Without an adjustment like this, not much difference can be expected. (Plus, Joe's a nice guy, so no one's going to throw at his ear hole, right?)