Joe Mauer has a good shot at the Baseball Hall of Fame in first year of eligibility

Why it matters: The homegrown talent is one of the most polarizing star athletes in Minnesota history. His greatness is hotly debated among local fans.

• On one hand, he won three batting titles and an MVP as a catcher during his 15-year career with the Twins.

Yes, but: His play declined to average in his 30s and he never won a playoff game.

Between the lines: The Mauer haters might be more in the minority than they realize. A social media account tracking ballots found that 80% of sportswriters who have made their selections public voted for Mauer.

• A player needs at least 75% to be elected.

Threat level: The Athletic's Aaron Gleeman notes that even if Mauer doesn't hit that threshold this year, he's almost certainly going to make it in the next two or three years because some writers set a higher standard for voting for someone in their first year of eligibility.

• "I've long suspected Mauer's greatness would be more fully appreciated outside of Minnesota, where his flaws too often received an outsized level of focus, and thankfully that appears to be the case. Mauer is going to be a Hall of Famer," Gleeman wrote.

What we're watching: Results will be released on Jan. 23. The induction ceremony is July 21.