Prospect Retrospective: Edouard Julien

The Twins drafted Edouard Julien in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB Draft from Auburn University. In two collegiate seasons, he hit .266/.393/.501 (.894) with 21 doubles, one triple, and 27 home runs in 127 games. His college career exemplified many skills he has shown as a professional, with high on-base totals and a powerful swing. He spoke French and Spanish, but very little English when he got to Auburn as an 18-year-old, so he dealt with a language barrier early in his college career.

He was draft-eligible as a sophomore because MLB ruled that his secondary school year in Canada counted as a collegiate season. Minnesota signed him for $493,000, which is well over slot for that late in the draft. Shortly after signing, Julien hurt his elbow in the Pan Am Games, which forced him to have Tommy John surgery. He recovered for the 2020 season, but there were no minor-league games during the pandemic, so his professional debut was pushed back to 2021. 

During his first season, he split time between Low-A and High-A while playing four different defensive positions. In 112 games, he hit .267/.434/.480 (.914) with 28 doubles, one triple, 18 home runs, and led all minor leaguers with 110 walks. He was the first Twins prospect with 100 walks in a season since Bobby Kielty two decades earlier. It was a solid pro debut, but his 2022 season pushed him into the conversation as a global top-100 prospect. 

Julien spent the 2022 season at Double-A Wichita and posted some impressive numbers. He hit .300/.441/.490 (.931) with 19 doubles, three triples, and 17 home runs in 113 games. He added 98 walks to his resume and has walked more than any other minor-league hitter over the last two seasons combined. Minnesota wanted him to build off his breakout year, so they sent him to the Arizona Fall League, and he continued to blossom. 

The AFL can be a league that favors hitters more than pitchers, but Julien put up video game numbers. In 21 games, he hit .400/.563/.686 (1.248) with five doubles and five home runs. He went a perfect 6-for-6 in stolen base attempts and had more walks (23) than strikeouts (22). For his performance, Julien was named the 2022 AFL Breakout Player of the Year. According to the award criteria, it is given to the player that took the Fall League opportunity to propel himself into serious prospect status.

Entering the 2023 season, Julien moved into Twins Daily’s top five prospects, a jump of five places from earlier in the year. The Twins also gave him opportunities this spring in his first year on the 40-man roster. In eight games, he went 8-for-23 (.348 BA) with three home runs and six runs. He might have gotten more opportunities with the Twins, but he was given the opportunity to play for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic. Even without any big-league experience, he was thrust into the lead-off spots and responded in a big way. In four games, he went 7-for-13 (.538 BA) with two doubles, two home runs, and five walks. It looked like he was more than ready for the big leagues. 

Minnesota optioned Julien to Triple-A while he was away from the club during the WBC. He had never played a game above Double-A, and the Twins had plenty of veteran options ahead of him on the depth chart. He continued his strong hitting in St. Paul by going 9-for-31 with two doubles, two home runs, and seven walks across nine games. He was pulled early from Tuesday night's game in Indianapolis because he got called up to the Twins. 

So, what does Julien bring to the Twins? He has been an on-base machine at every professional level, and he will bring that patient approach to the Twins line-up. It will be interesting to see how big-league pitchers approach him early in his career because some scouting reports say he can be too passive sometimes in his desire to see pitches. His hit tool is among the best in the Twins system, and the Twins hope he can add something to an offense that has struggled to start the year. 

He also doesn’t have a clear defensive home, with the Twins using him primarily at second base over the last two seasons. Julien is replacing Joey Gallo on the roster, but it isn’t a perfect one-for-one swap regarding their defensive abilities. Julien has fewer than 200 defensive innings at first base, third base, and outfield in his professional career. Also, Jorge Polanco and Alex Kirilloff have started their rehab assignments, so seeing how long Julien can stick on the roster will be interesting. 

Hopefully, Julien’s performance is strong enough that the Twins will have a tough time ever sending him back to Triple-A. What do you think Julien can bring to the Twins? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. 

For much more on Edouard Julien, click here for all Twins Daily articles and videos in which Julien was tagged. 

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