ESPN Admits They Got it Wrong on Twins Infielder Edouard Julien

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Edouard Julien, Minnesota Twins
Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Last season the Minnesota Twins found themselves relying on more than a handful of young players. After Edouard Julien played in 109 games as a rookie during the 2023 season, it seemed like he was poised for more. Those that believed in him felt the lackluster production all year long.

Minnesota Twins need a bounceback from Edouard Julien

When the Minnesota Twins took Edouard Julien in the 18th round of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft, they did so banking on his upside. It took some work to draw him away from a return to Auburn. The talent was realized as he posted a 130 OPS+ as a rookie. Things fell off the table last season and ESPN’s David Schoenfield owned that. He predicted 30 home runs and an OBP north of .400 for the Canadian.

“Julien had posted a .381 OBP with 16 home runs as a rookie in 109 games, but this was still way too hopeful considering only two second basemen (Rogers Hornsby and Jeff Kent) had reached those 30/.400 figures in the same season. Julien was just bad at the plate, hitting .199/.292/.323 and earning a demotion back to the minors. The plate discipline is elite, so there’s a chance Julien will rebound, but the swing-and-miss is a problem and his poor range at second is a drawback as well. He might end up as a platoon bat or move to first base to replace free agent Carlos Santana.”

Dave Schoenfield on Twins Edouard Julien (ESPN)

In 94 games, broken up by the minor league demotion, Julien lost nearly 100 points from his on-base percentage. The .292 mark was a non-starter, and his .830 OPS in April was never going to save him. Things got ugly quickly and they never turned around. He’s a better defender than what he originally came up as, but the offensive production was broken last year.

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Julien is still just 25 years old and his future with Minnesota remains entirely in front of him. He didn’t take the step forward you’d have hoped for this season, but maybe he can use the offseason to accomplish those results in 2025. Rocco Baldelli needs Julien to re-establish himself as a leadoff hitter with functionality. The more that can manifest itself out of the gate in 2025, the better.

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It was incredibly disappointing how bad Julien was last season. If he can make that a small blip on the radar, both the player and organization stand to benefit in a substantial way.

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