Joe Mauer career timeline

High school star: Mauer was a three-sport athlete at Cretin-Derham Hall. He was the Gatorade national player of the year in football as a quarterback, Gatorade player of the year in baseball and all-state in basketball.

Decision time: Mauer committed to play football at Florida State, and was the No. 1 overall pick in the major league baseball draft in 2001. He signed with the Twins for $5.1 million.

The big time: Mauer made his major league debut in 2004, going 2-for-3 against Cleveland on April 5. He played 15 major league seasons.

History maker: In 2006, Mauer hit .347 to win the first of his three American League batting titles. He is the only catcher to win three.

The best: Mauer won the American League MVP award in 2009. He led the majors with a .365 batting average, hit 28 home runs and drove in 96 runs in only 138 games. He also won a Gold Glove at catcher.

Big deal: On March 22, 2010, Mauer agreed to an eight-year, $184 million contract, making him the fourth-highest-paid player in the major leagues at the time.

Sea change: Mauer hit .324 in 2013 and made his sixth All-Star team, but following the season he was moved from catcher — where he won three Gold Gloves — to first base because of concussion issues. From 2014-16, he never hit above .277.

Back to Joe: The Twins won a surprise wild-card berth in 2017 when Mauer hit .305. Another concussion during the 2018 season convinced him that he should retire, however.

Fitting finale: In Mauer's final game, on Sept. 30 against the White Sox at Target Field, he doubled in his final at-bat, then put on his catching gear for the first time since 2013 and caught one pitch.

The future: Mauer, 35, and his wife, Maddie, have 5-year-old twin daughters and are expecting this month. Following five years of retirement, he is eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame ... did he have enough good years to be elected?