Minnesota Twins: The 4 Twins With the Most to Prove in 2015

Sep 27, 2014; Detroit, MI, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman

(7) receives congratulations from short stop

(39) after scoring in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Mauer

No matter what happens for the rest of Joe Mauer’s career, he will go down as one of the greatest Twins of all-time and one of the greatest hitting catchers in Major League history. That said, if he struggles for his remaining years, his career could go down as a classic “What if?” case. He started his career with three batting titles and an MVP but it has been a struggle with injuries ever since. A big part of his image issues are due to the large contract extension he signed in 2010. Unfortunately he has not been able to stay healthy while playing under his current contract. His move to first base was meant to help keep him healthier.

I’ve gone over much of this already in this post. I also joined Mr. Fantasy and The Big Jack on SportsTime Radio’s “It Must be Sunday” show on this past Sunday. The podcast version is here. We covered all topics Twins, including Mauer. Fast Forward to the one hour mark for the Twins talk.

The long and short of it is simple though: If Mauer produces over the next few seasons at a high level, and the Twins start winning more ballgames, much of the struggles of the past few seasons will be forgiven. If not, the “What if?” scenario looms large.

Next: Hicks