MINNEAPOLIS — At the ripe old age of 26, Joe Mauer now has an AL Most Valuable Player award to add to a jam-packed trophy case that already holds three batting titles, three Silver Sluggers and two Gold Gloves.

So just what else can the Minnesota Twins catcher do to top that?

"World Series," Mauer quickly answered. "That's where I want to be."

Now Minnesota is hoping the St. Paul native accomplishes that final goal as a member of his hometown team. Mauer will make $12.5 million next season in the final year of a four-year, $33 million deal he signed in 2007.

After becoming the first AL player to lead the league in batting average (.365), on-base percentage (.444) and slugging percentage (.587) since George Brett in 1980, Mauer received 27 of 28 first-place votes and 387 points in MVP balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America on Monday.

He is the second catcher to win the AL MVP in 33 years and should be in line for a hefty raise soon.

Yankees teammates Mark Teixeira (225 points) and Derek Jeter (193) followed. Detroit's Miguel Cabrera drew the other first-place vote and was fourth with 171 points.

The Twins are expected to try to negotiate a long-term extension for Mauer this winter. Mauer says his focus is not on the size of the check, but on the lineup around him. The Twins have moved quickly this offseason to show him they're serious about improving, trading for Milwaukee shortstop J.J. Hardy to bolster the middle infield.

"That's one of our challenges," general manager Bill Smith said. "We've got to get this club to the point where we can get past the Yankees or whoever we play in the first round. We had a taste of it the first year in 2002 and since then we've gotten knocked out in the first round a couple times."

The Twins have been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in four straight appearances since advancing to the ALCS in 2002.