Baseball Musings
Baseball Musings
February 25, 2003
The Future is Now?

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Pioneer Press has a very positive article on first overall pick Joe Mauer:


The youngest player in the Twins' major league camp for the second straight year, Mauer, the No. 1 overall draft pick in June 2001, already seems a master of the science of hitting, and he's not likely to be out of Class A ball until at least the middle of this season.

In just the first week of camp this year, he has impressed Twins staff from the front office to the coaches with the progress he has made since an impressive 2002 camp.

"I see a lot,'' hitting coach Scott Ullger said. "He's getting the feel for pulling the inside fastball. … He has great balance, quick hands, good bat-head awareness, centers the ball on almost every swing. … But obviously, he's got to get some at-bats under his belt.''


That last quote seems to be the mantra of the Twins staff.

On the other hand, the kid rated by Baseball America magazine last year as the top minor league catching prospect hit .400 in a 110 at-bat debut at Class A Elizabethton in 2001, hit .302 with 23 doubles in 411 at-bats at Class A Quad City (Iowa) last year, and even in big-league camp as an 18-year-old last year went 5 for 12 (.417) before Twins brass averted the "Bring Joe North'' campaigns by sending him to the minor league side of camp.

He'll likely start the season with the Twins' highest Class A club, in Fort Myers.

The soft-spoken Mauer looks more like a veteran among the big leaguers with every week he spends in their midst.

"I'm pretty much coming in trying to learn as much as I can. There's a lot to this game,'' said Mauer, who also threw out 42 percent (45 for 108) of attempted base stealers last year. "It's a lot more relaxed this year. I'm more confident out there. I know all the guys. Last year coming in, I knew of them but didn't know them. It's exciting to get this opportunity again.''

Mauer was in camp last year as a stipulation of the $5.15 million contract he signed after being drafted. This year, the invitation was earned.

"We expect him to get more of the same out of it, although he's prepared to take on more,'' general manager Terry Ryan said. "He's to the point where he's been through a full year as a pro. He kind of knows what's expected here and is getting familiar with the pitchers on the staff. He just needs repetition. He needs games. He needs experience.''


I think the Twins may be holding back too much here. The catcher can clearly hit A-ball pitching. I don't know what they think he's going to learn there. It will be interesting to see how impressive he is in spring training. If he's the natural he appears to be, he may start at AA (and I can see him in New Britian!), or who knows? I-Rod was in the big leagues at 19. Maybe Mauer will be, too.


Posted by David Pinto at 07:38 PM | Baseball