There were no massive surprises when the Minnesota Twins broke camp to begin the regular season last month. On top of that, the Twins didn’t include any rookies on the roster to begin the regular season because they had several veteran options in place. It was a tempting thought for Twins fans to dip into that youth early in the season after seeing an extended look at so many young top prospects in Spring Training.
Top prospect Brooks Lee was always a long shot to make the roster with Carlos Correa’s return. Plus, he only had limited action at Double-A the season before. Edouard Julien was the star of Fort Myers this spring, another top-10 Twins prospect. Julien went from a lesser-known prospect a year ago to a trendy pick for an Opening Day roster spot. Now the anticipation is over. After nearly a two-week start in St. Paul, Julien joined the Twins for his big-league debut because they’ve put Joey Gallo on the 10-day injured list.
Julien had a strong spring, slashing .348/.375/.739 with three home runs in eight exhibition games. He would have seen more action in Spring Training had he not represented Canada in the World Baseball Classic. Julien started to attract eyes throughout the baseball world at the WBC, recording a 1.821 OPS, which led all hitters. A strong WBC and spring elevated Julien’s status among Twins fans, but it also earned himself a spot in MLB.com’s top-100 overall prospect list.
Starting Julien at Triple-A to start this season was not the most exciting move. However, it was practical, especiallysince the Twins had plenty of veteran infield depth, even after Jorge Polanco and Alex Kirilloff started the season on the injured list. Julien also hadn’t played above Double-A in his career, so starting him in St. Paul made plenty of sense. After a slow first week, Julien now has produced .276/.417/.517 with two home runs in eight games this season.
Julien’s call-up isn’t a move to excite the fan base. However, the move comes at a great time for the Twins to fill some important needs early in the season. Julien also has a chance to build off of a successful March to earn himself a full-time spot on the big-league roster.
Trading Luis Arraez in the offseason and Polanco starting the year in the IL has left a void for the Twins at the leadoff spot. As a result, Rocco Baldelli has been shuffling through hitters at the top spot of the lineup, including Max Kepler, Byron Buxton, Donovan Solano, and others. Julien made frequent starts as the first hitter in the lineup in the minors, and he made his most famous leadoff at-bat in the WBC.
It’s not just that he has experience as a leadoff hitter but that he also profiles well as one. Julien flexes raw power with 37 home runs in the last two minor league seasons and the ability to hit to both sides of the field. A .437 career OPB in the minors added with a consistent walk rate of 19 percent of his at-bats also helps him become a good leadoff man.
While the Twins have a nice record to start the season thanks to stellar pitching, the offense could use a jump start. Minnesota’s lineup ranks 24th in baseball with 44 runs scored through the first 11 games of the season. Julien could provide the Twins a spark to help get the offense going. Having someone who can get on base at the top of the lineup can set the table for Buxton, Trevor Larnach, or Carlos Correa. It could also give Baldelli a go-to option at the leadoff spot.
The Twins made a point to go out and get depth in 2023. Kyle Farmer, Nick Gordon, Solano, and Gallo all could be used at either second or first base. Julien can play around the infield, logging starts through the minors at third, second, and first base. Although as a limited defender, he will likely be a second or first baseman consistently in the majors. An injured Polanco leaves second base open to the Gordon/Farmer platoon. Julien could sneak his way into that mix to give the left-handed hitting Gordon a day off from time to time.
First base might be the place Julien gets his initial reps at the big-league level. Solano’s solid start to the season might mean time at first base will be more of a platoon role for Julien. That would be an easy way to ease Julien into consistent playing time. It also could maximize lineup production for the Twins considering Julien has a 1.031 career OPS against right-handed pitching and a .649 OPS versus lefties.
On the other hand, Solano’s defense ability at first base might give Julien time at second base. Gordon and Farmer can fill in there too but position flexibility from both of the infielders might corner Julien at second. Especially since Julien is limited as a fielder compared to his upside at the plate.
Second base is where Julien started in his big league debut. In three plate appearances, he did not record a hit but was able to draw a walk before being replaced late in the game for a defensive substitution. While a leadoff spot might be in Julien’s future, Baldelli started the rookie at the no. eight spot in the batting order.
At 23 years old, Julien has already accumulated a lot of baseball experience. Julien played at Auburn, where he broke a single-season freshman RBI record held previously by Frank Thomas in 2017. Yeah, that Frank Thomas. The next year he played for a Tigers team that earned a trip to the College World Series. After missing 2019 due to Tommy John Surgery and 2020 due to COVID, Julien does only have two years of minor league experience. However, his high-pedigree past of high-level college, minor leagues, and WBC baseball make Julien uniquely qualified to take on an early trip to the major leagues.
Ed Julien has become a high-rising star through the Twins minor league system over the last two months. Now there is a golden opportunity in front of him to become a core member of this Twins team in 2023 and in the future. The skillset he brings is exactly what the Twins need at this early juncture of the season to give the Twins a boost of offensive production.
