Joseph Patrick Mauer (born April 19, 1983), is an American former professional baseball catcher, designated hitter, and first baseman, who spent his entire 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Minnesota Twins. Mauer is the only catcher in MLB history to win three batting titles, and the only catcher to ever win a batting title in the American League (AL). He also won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards (2008–2010), and the 2009 AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award.
Mauer played football, basketball, and baseball for St. Paul's Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders. In his senior year he became the only athlete ever to be selected as the USA Today High School Player of the Year in two sports (football in 2000 as a quarterback and baseball in 2001 as a catcher).
In December 2009, Sports Illustrated magazine included Mauer in its article on ten "signature" moments in U.S. high-school sports in the 2000–2009 decade, referring to his selection by the Minnesota Twins as the first pick in the 2001 amateur draft.