The 2024 Hall of Fame Inductee’s Top Cards
From high school phenom to Major League Baseball royalty, Joe Mauer’s journey to the Hall of Fame is a tale of undeniable talent and unwavering dedication. Rising through the ranks of Minnesota’s baseball scene, the St. Paul native quickly captured the hearts of fans with his extraordinary skills behind and at the plate. With an illustrious career spanning over a decade, Mauer’s list of accolades is as impressive as his batting average. As the first overall pick in the 2001 MLB Draft, he lived up to lofty expectations, earning multiple Silver Slugger Awards, All-Star appearances, Gold Gloves, and batting titles. As he joins the hallowed halls of Cooperstown in the class of 2024, let’s revisit some of the iconic rookie cards and memorable moments that defined Mauer’s legendary career.
Joe Mauer’s Top Cards
2023 MLB TOPPS NOW® Card 660 Joe Mauer /945
We start this list at the end, at the culmination of a marvelous career. In 2023, Mauer became the 38th member of the Twins Hall of Fame, which earned him a Topps Now card commemorating the moment.
2018 MLB TOPPS NOW® Card 817 Joe Mauer /1293
It had been five years since Mauer squatted behind the plate. But on September 30, 2018, vs. the White Sox, the future Hall of Famer returned to the position that made him a legend and caught for the final time. When the contest was over, Mauer had tallied a hit in the last game of a memorable career.
2018 MLB TOPPS Now® Card 71 Joe Mauer /484
Before April 12, 2018, Kirby Puckett and Rod Carew were the only Twins players to reach 2,000 hits. Mauer joined the exclusive club in the seventh inning of that lovely evening. He smashed a single that drove in two runs and ended the outing in Minnesota’s history books. “It was Joe’s night,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “I just think the buildup, the response of our players and the fans here were kind of pushing him along.”
2002 Bowman Heritage #BHJAM Joe Mauer RC Auto
There’s a base card featuring a baby-faced Mauer in his Bowman Heritage debut, and of course, it has its appeal. But the 2002 Bowman Heritage #BHJAM Joe Mauer supersedes that appeal simply because it’s an auto. These bad boys are abundant on the secondary market, but this is still a prime catch.
2002 Topps T206 #JM Joe Mauer RC Auto
The T206 set, released between 1909 and 1911 by the American Tobacco Company, is one of history’s most iconic and sought-after baseball card sets. In 2002, Topps released a similarly designed set that showcased current players as an ode to the iconic set. Though a rookie, Mauer found himself in the set, with an RC auto no less.
