Prospects Can Power Saints Lineup

St. Paul - Toby Gardenhire knows that he has a tough task when figuring out how to find opportunities for the ample amount of arms at his disposal. He may be facing a similar situation when it comes to the lineup.

On Opening Day the Twins Triple-A affiliate will roster the likes of Edouard Julien, Matt Wallner, and Andrew Bechtold. They may soon get Brooks Lee and Royce Lewis. Hopefully Austin Martin doesn’t miss the whole year, but Michael Helman will certainly be back. That’s a strong list, and it doesn’t even include the multitude of former big-league veterans.

From a prospect standpoint, it may be Julien and Wallner that draw the most attention, but coming off of his first big-league camp, Bechtold is creeping his way toward a Twins debut as well. A third baseman, the strong-armed Bechtold has also played a lot at first base. He can also play catcher. He’s ready for everything this year in St. Paul.

“To play one position is tough. That I can go back there and put the gear on, play the outfield, play the infield, it gives me lots of versatility. I work on my catching constantly, I work on catching every day even if it’s been two weeks between appearances.”

Bechtold certainly takes pride in being able to play all over the field. That level of versatility gives him something not many players can make a claim to.

Seeing someone able to bounce around positions and work behind the plate is somewhat reminiscent of brief Twins acquisition Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Bechtold won’t be a Drew Butera type behind the dish, but he’s Chris Herrmann or Caleb Hamilton if that’s what Rocco Baldelli needs. The former fifth-round pick prides himself on that as well, “The goal is to get to the big leagues so I’m willing to play whatever role, and do as much as I can to get there. I think I have seven gloves right now.”

Bechtold is also a different player than he was before the minor leagues shut down in 2020. With such an explosive swing, he has always been a guy that could hit for power. With his previous process, he simply wasn’t utilizing it. “I retooled my swing a bit and getting the ball in the air more is something I can continue to work on. The power came knowing I made hard contact but being intentional about getting the ball in the air. The more I can hit it in the air, the more damage I can do.”

Working with players like former Twins Brent Rooker and Rays star Brandon Lowe, Bechtold has made it a focus to get the most from his swing. Exit velocity isn’t something you can necessarily coach, but the utilization of it and finding an ideal level of effectiveness is process oriented. It turned into a pair of seasons where he nearly hit 20 home runs, and it didn’t include a substantial drop off in on-base ability.

While Bechtold may be standing next to him on the infield at some points, the Saints should have a consistent second baseman this year in Edouard Julien. He pushed the envelope during spring training and the World Baseball Classic, making it somewhat fathomable he could be included on the major league roster and skip Triple-A entirely.

It’s not lost on Julien how much the past handful of weeks have mattered, but he has also been doing this for a while. “The recent success is certainly a confidence builder. At the end of the day I’ve shown I can play at any level. I want to get better every day.”

Although not a pure power hitter in the vein of former Twins second baseman Brian Dozier, Julien bucks the trend of second base being more of a defensive position. He said, “I think the game is changing some, and it’s fun to be able to hit for power, but that’s not my whole game. I wanted to get quicker and more agile this offseason.”

Knowing the shift limitations are here to stay, Julien thinks we’ll see more exciting defense in the years ahead.

If things had gone differently, Julien may not have even been here. Taken in the 18th round out of Auburn back in 2019, Julien initially tweeted he would be returning to school. Minnesota upped their bonus amount going way over slot and gave him $493,000 reasons to become pro. Looking back, and knowing what’s ahead, he couldn’t be more excited. “I made the right choice leaving college based on where I am today. In these four years I feel like I’ve made the most progress in my baseball career.”

The Saints will open the door for plenty of big league talent to come through the roster this year, and some of the bats could provide a nice boost to a Twins lineup looking to stay atop the AL Central.