Minnesota Twins

StaTuesday: Joe Mauer is clutch

Published Jul. 3, 2018 3:16 p.m. ET

Ryan Lund

Joe Mauer, the narrative says, is not the man for the job here. The Minnesota Twins and the Chicago Cubs are tied in the second inning, with two on and two out, and Mauer is here to send a ground ball skittering into Ben Zobrist.

He is, after all, not clutch.

Mauer is, according to his detractors, overpaid, unexciting -- boring, even -- and thus un-clutch. One of the era's most accomplished hitters of looping singles and the occasional double, Mauer has never, admittedly, been much for power.

Despite his batting titles, Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers and MVP award, this fact seems to have corrupted Mauer's mythos in his native Minnesota a bit.

As it turns out, Mauer was exactly the man for the job last Friday, hitting a three-run homer off Cubs starter Mike Montgomery to give the Twins the lead and reignite the old Mauer argument.

And while the home run was a surprise (it was just his second this season), there isn't much of an argument.

Statistically, Mauer is among the most clutch hitters playing today.

The venerable St. Paul native is hitting .331 over his career with runners in scoring position, good enough for third amongst active players, with a .457 on-base percentage, also third.

Player	Season	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
Nolan Arenado	2013-2018(6)	742	250	55	8	51	385	111	130	0.337	0.409	0.639
Joey Votto	2007-2018(12)	1199	403	87	5	68	585	381	264	0.336	0.488	0.587
Joe Mauer	2004-2018(15)	1575	521	114	10	29	732	407	245	0.331	0.457	0.471
Daniel Murphy	2008-2018(10)	1027	337	80	8	23	462	136	117	0.328	0.396	0.489
Charlie Blackmon	2011-2018(8)	599	196	34	7	19	261	66	89	0.327	0.396	0.503
Jose Abreu	2014-2018(5)	634	205	38	4	32	310	90	135	0.323	0.408	0.547
Mike Trout	2011-2018(8)	724	233	47	10	42	380	201	203	0.322	0.461	0.588
Michael Brantley	2009-2018(10)	887	284	49	2	19	401	128	94	0.320	0.394	0.444
Freddie Freeman	2010-2018(9)	914	290	71	2	40	435	216	234	0.317	0.441	0.531
Josh Donaldson	2010-2018(8)	703	223	38	4	38	345	147	150	0.317	0.428	0.545
Paul Goldschmidt	2011-2018(8)	928	294	71	8	49	456	258	232	0.317	0.456	0.569
Albert Pujols	2001-2018(18)	2495	790	166	3	159	1291	585	273	0.317	0.438	0.577
Buster Posey	2009-2018(10)	1029	324	75	3	29	450	196	148	0.315	0.413	0.478
Nick Castellanos	2013-2018(6)	575	180	35	10	24	261	62	153	0.313	0.373	0.534
Manny Machado	2012-2018(7)	662	207	38	1	35	297	78	128	0.313	0.374	0.532

Mauer's numbers vary depending on exactly how clutch you need him to be. He's hitting .376 all-time with the bases loaded -- Mike Trout territory, currently -- with 132 RBI in 117 at-bats.

Player	Season	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
Matt Carpenter	2012-2018(7)	42	22	6	1	1	65	4	8	0.524	0.426	0.786
Yoenis Cespedes	2012-2018(7)	55	25	6	0	6	71	2	9	0.455	0.435	0.891
Josh Donaldson	2010-2018(8)	64	29	4	1	4	82	9	7	0.453	0.481	0.734
Daniel Murphy	2008-2018(10)	71	32	6	2	2	84	4	8	0.451	0.429	0.676
Scooter Gennett	2013-2018(6)	63	26	3	0	6	64	2	7	0.413	0.418	0.746
Mike Trout	2011-2018(8)	58	23	7	0	4	82	9	13	0.397	0.418	0.724
Marcell Ozuna	2013-2018(6)	76	30	6	2	4	76	6	18	0.395	0.424	0.684
Wilson Ramos	2010-2018(9)	81	31	4	0	3	75	5	8	0.383	0.383	0.543
Mitch Moreland	2010-2018(9)	89	34	5	0	3	85	7	18	0.382	0.390	0.539
Joe Mauer	2004-2018(15)	117	44	10	1	4	132	11	23	0.376	0.379	0.581
Michael Brantley	2009-2018(9)	72	27	5	1	2	83	10	8	0.375	0.411	0.556
Nick Castellanos	2013-2018(6)	52	19	2	3	4	56	2	16	0.365	0.350	0.750
Ian Desmond	2009-2018(10)	105	38	4	0	3	92	5	24	0.362	0.352	0.486
Brett Gardner	2008-2018(10)	97	35	4	3	3	86	7	17	0.361	0.377	0.557
Matt Joyce	2008-2018(10)	68	24	6	0	5	77	8	13	0.353	0.379	0.662

Few players in Twins history have been as clutch as Mauer, or even approached his clutch-ness. Mauer's .331 with runners in scoring position also ranks third in Twins history, behind Hall of Famers Rod Carew and Paul Molitor, but ahead of Hall of Famer Kirby Puckett and four-time All-Star Chuck Knoblauch.

His 732 RBI in such scenarios are second only to Puckett.

Player	Season	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
Rod Carew	1974-1978(5)	703	259	40	12	13	333	153	71	0.368	0.468	0.515
Paul Molitor	1996-1998(3)	515	172	31	7	5	235	67	64	0.334	0.391	0.45
Joe Mauer	2004-2018(15)	1575	521	114	10	29	732	407	245	0.331	0.457	0.471
Kirby Puckett	1984-1995(12)	1858	599	114	19	57	842	204	288	0.322	0.383	0.496
Chuck Knoblauch	1991-1997(7)	836	263	43	16	3	324	140	109	0.315	0.408	0.415
Brian Harper	1988-1993(6)	682	214	38	1	10	282	51	38	0.314	0.361	0.416
Shane Mack	1990-1994(5)	509	159	27	5	20	244	67	88	0.312	0.396	0.503
Mickey Hatcher	1981-1986(6)	549	167	31	5	10	232	41	39	0.304	0.343	0.434
John Castino	1979-1984(6)	513	154	22	10	8	196	55	67	0.300	0.363	0.429
Ron Coomer	1995-2000(6)	680	199	39	3	18	283	63	78	0.293	0.344	0.438
Denard Span	2008-2012(5)	521	152	26	14	5	202	62	82	0.292	0.366	0.424
Matt Lawton	1995-2001(7)	704	203	44	6	18	303	146	74	0.288	0.413	0.445
Larry Hisle	1974-1977(4)	562	160	20	4	25	266	73	111	0.285	0.354	0.468
Justin Morneau	2003-2013(11)	1304	370	77	5	53	599	241	233	0.284	0.385	0.472
Jacque Jones	1999-2005(7)	872	245	44	6	38	354	84	196	0.281	0.344	0.476

His .376 with the bases loaded ranks fifth, behind Jason Kubel, Carew, Dan Ford and Shane Mack.

The next time Mauer steps in with a runner on base (.326), runners on first and second (.298), first and third (.349), second and third (.384) or the bases loaded (.376), pay attention.

Statistics courtesy of STATS