It was announced Friday that Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer will participate in the 2009 State Farm Home Run Derby.

Mauer, a two-time batting champion, would seem an unlikely choice for the Derby, but he has already set a career high in home runs this season with 15, surpassing his previous high of 13 set back in 2006.

Many of his teammates, including last year’s Derby champion Justin Morneau, believe that Mauer shouldn’t be overlooked as a potential winner in the competition.

“The last couple rounds we start hitting home runs in batting practice and he goes up in that upper deck here at the Metrodome pretty much whenever he wants,” Morneau said. “Believe me, he’ll surprise some people with how far he can hit the ball.”

Read the rest of the article at BleacherReport.