Top honor in minors awarded to Mauer

Scouts regarded Joe Mauer all season long as baseball’s best prospect.

Now, the former Fort Myers Miracle has a title to go along with it.

Baseball America named Mauer its Minor League Player of the Year on Friday. The catcher, who was the top pick of the 2001 draft, joins a stellar list of award winners.

Dwight Gooden, Jose Canseco, Frank Thomas, Derek Jeter and Andruw Jones are just a sample of the players who have received the award since its inception in 1981.

All 20 previous winners went on to play in the major leagues, 12 became big-league all-stars.

“That’s a very impressive list,” said Jim Rantz, Minnesota’s director of minor leagues. “We are as proud as Joe is. This is the first time one of our minor leaguers has won an award like this. It is well deserved.”

Was it ever.

Mauer, 21, hit a combined .339 with five homers and 85 RBI at Fort Myers and Double-A New Britain. The catcher was perhaps better behind the plate, where his cannon right arm threw out more than 50 percent of base stealers.

“He did all this at the age of 20,” said Rantz, whose star player recently turned 21. “That’s unbelievable.”

Mauer, who is currently in his hometown of St. Paul, Minn., could not be reached for comment.