Can Joe Mauer bat .400?
In a word, no. Mauer himself has suggested in years past that the strain of catching takes too much of a toll over a long season to allow him a realistic shot at .400. It is a testament to his skill at the plate that such a topic is even being discussed, but the daily grind of having to get two hits every five at-bats leaves almost no margin for error. When Ted Williams became the last man to hit .400 in 1941, he gave himself a cushion of .413 as late as mid-September before the inevitable stress and pressure began contributing to a rapid decline (he had 11 hits in his next 13 games, and still saw his average drop to .3996 before a season-ending double header). If Mauer (currently at .389) is to make a serious charge at the fabled mark, he will need a similar amount of breathing room to ward off fatigue as the season draws to a close.
