After 15 seasons in the majors, Minnesota Twins star Joe Mauer is reportedly set to announce his retirement.
The Minnesota native who spent his entire career with the Twins organization is retiring.
According to The Star Tribune, Mauer will make the official announcement on Sunday with a full-page ad in the newspaper to thank the city, organization and fans. Mauer also announced the decision to retire is in part due to his long history of concussions.
“After much consideration I have decided to retire from playing baseball,” Mauer said, via The Star Tribune. “The decision came down to my health and my family. The risk of concussion is always there, and I was reminded of that this season after missing over 30 games as a result of diving for a foul ball.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 MLB Draft by the Twins, Mauer grew up in Minnesota and his stardom rose quickly and he was named USA Today‘s High School Player of the Year in football and baseball.
Mauer’s status quickly grew even more from there. He made his MLB debut in 2004 and by 2005 became one of the best catchers in baseball.
The iconic catcher would spend nearly a decade serving as Minnesota’s catcher and became one of MLB’s brightest stars during his prime. Unfortunately, numerous concussions forced Mauer to move out of the position for good in 2014.
A six-time All Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, three-time A.L. batting champion and the A.L.’s 2009 MVP, he was one of the most gifted catchers the sport had seen in years and dominated over his peers.
In his final game, Minnesota put Mauer back at catcher for one pitch during the game and he received a raucous ovation and appreciation from the crowd.
Mauer finishes his career with a .306/.388/.439 slash line, 143 home runs and 2,123 hits in 1,858 games played.