Ed.

Edouard Julien has made his case. Batting over .500 for weeks will do that. Fielding questions notwithstanding, it’s safe to declare that not only is he a borderline Rookie of the Year candidate, he’s very much our team’s new Ed.

Longtime fans remember the golden days of 2016, when not one, not two, but three Eds provided Edheads with all the Ed they could handle and then some. Eduardo Escobar, Eddie Rosario, and Eduardo Nunez, on the same team, sometimes in the same lineup. We didn’t know how good we had it. Were we ever so young?

One by one, those Eds went away, until the Twins were left Ed-less. Since Eddie Rosario departed after the 2020 season, the Twins have not made the playoffs. They haven’t even finished above .500. Correlation doesn’t equal causation? Yeah, right. No Eds, no postseason. The facts speak for themselves.

[NOTE FROM STU: It’s true that pitcher Edgar Garcia appeared in six games for the Twins in 2021. But, as we all know, Edgars don’t contribute to your team’s Ed count. You can argue it’s unfair but you’re arguing with the wrong person. I just work here.]

But in 2023, a new Ed has appeared. A Canadian Ed if you can believe such an absurd thing. Does Gord Julien capture our hearts and minds? Of course not, he’s playing hockey in some raccoon-infested Toronto suburb, wasting that beautiful swing on slapshots and wristers. Fortunately, his folks named him Ed. The rest is a story still being told.

Does the appearance of this new Ed mean an Ed-aissance for the Twins? A quick look at their minor league system shows a cupboard bare of prospective Eds. Daunting as that might seem, the current Twins regime has proven capable of moving prospects for veterans when they think it’s necessary. There’s some Eds out there. Dare to dream. Dare to compete. Dare to win. With Ed.

Until then, we celebrate you, Ed Julien. Thank you for letting us believe again.