His current injury saga notwithstanding, Twins catcher Joe Mauer is one of the most productive and popular players in all of baseball. Thanks to his laid-back demeanor and dominance on the mound, Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum holds the same status. Which young superstar would you rather begin a franchise with? Why Mauer is a Franchise Player Joe Mauer has become one of baseball's most recognizable faces despite his residence in Minnesota's smaller market. In 845 career games, the catcher has a career batting average of .326, an OBP of .406 and an OPS of .885. He's already won three batting titles in his six full seasons. When he won the AL MVP award (2009), he led the league in BA, OBP, SLG, OPS and OPS+. He can also hit for power, slugging 28 home runs in 2009, but has just one other season with double-digit homers. The spacious Target Field isn't going to help his power numbers, but no park is going to neutralize his talents at the plate. The four-time All-Star also brings tremendous value to Minnesota as the leader of the team's pitching staff. He has won the AL Gold Glove for catchers in three straight years. Mauer is perennially among the AL's leaders in WAR, whether it be generally or offensively. He led the league in WAR, WAR among position players and Offensive WAR in 2008. He's among the game's highest-paid players and this is one case whether he desires nearly every penny in his back account. Why Lincecum is a Franchise Player The right-hander made his debut four years ago and he's been stellar from Day One. He has a career record of 58-28 with a 3.00 ERA and 939 strikeouts in 126 career starts. He's never had more losses than wins in a season and already owns a pair of NL Cy Young awards. He has led the National League in strikeouts in each of the last three seasons and had a league-high four complete games in 2009. Lincecum led all NL pitchers with a WAR of 6.9 and 6.3 in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Lincecum has been just as good, if not better, in the postseason. He was 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA in five starts for the World Series-winning Giants last fall. Click here to see this year's 'Be A GM' bracket.