Three hits on Monday, three more on Tuesday. Whether it is for the pitchers who face him or the fans of Quebec baseball, Édouard Julien deserves special attention, because the young Minnesota Twins player is now flirting with a batting average above .300.
By hitting two singles and a home run Tuesday night against the Mariners in Seattle, the young man from Quebec increased his average to .308 and is among the best rookies in major league baseball in several offensive categories.
“I never put too much emphasis on what happened in the past, whether good or bad, indicated Julien during an interview granted to the Log earlier this season. I don’t worry about what I experience every day. Every day is a new game and every appearance at bat is a new opportunity.
Julien, 24, stayed true to this way of thinking in order to experience his astonishing successes as a major league baseball rookie. Renowned for his unshakeable confidence, the Quebecer knows very well how to walk the talk. Since the start of July, he has put the ball in play half the time (15 for 30), having hit four long balls in his last nine games.
From game to game
The one whose most recent recall has lasted more than a month might have started doubting when, on June 24, he finished a game with a 0-for-5 performance in a 3-2 Twins loss to the Tigers, in Detroit. He had also been withdrawn three times on catches that evening. His batting average dropped to .243.
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But the next day, still in Detroit, it was a new game, and then he got two hits. Then two more, June 26, against the mighty Braves in Atlanta.
In early July, Julien notably hit a home run in two consecutive games at the Twins’ home, against the Kansas City Royals. So the days go by… And on July 19, in the morning, the average for Quebecers is .308.
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Impressive statistics
Julien’s name is not part of the discussions for the title of rookie of the year in the American League. Josh Jung (Texas Rangers), Masakata Yoshida (Boston Red Sox) and Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore Orioles), who have played more, remain the main contenders.
Julien still exceeds expectations in his first steps in major league baseball. Eight home runs and 11 doubles in 146 official batting appearances. A power average of .548, which is the number of bases covered each time he comes to the plate. By adding his on-trail attendance rate of .380, we finally find a highly regarded statistic to evaluate a player’s offensive contribution, namely OPS. In Julien’s case, we’re talking about a .928 performance, ranking first in major league baseball among all rookies who have played 35 games or more this season. Yes, first row!
He is ahead of Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks. In front of Jung, Yoshida and Henderson. Also ahead of Cincinnati Reds sensation Elly De La Cruz, who everyone is talking about.
Among Major League Baseball’s top rookies in 2023
Batting average (minimum of 100 AB*)
1 – Masakata Yoshida, BOS… ,318
2 – Edouard Julien, MIN… ,308
3 – Matt McLain, CIN… ,302
4 – Elly De La Cruz, CIN… ,288
5 – Corbin Carroll, AZ… ,286
Average power (min. 100 AB)
1 – Edouard Julien, MIN… ,548
2 – Corbin Carroll, AZ… ,538
3 – Francisco Alvarez, NYM… ,534
4 – Matt McLain, CIN… ,513
5 – Masakata Yoshida, BOS… ,503
OPS (power + presence on goal) – min. 100 AB
1 – Edouard Julien, MIN… ,928
2 – Corbin Carroll, AZ… ,900
3 – Masakata Yoshida, BOS… ,883
4 – Matt McLain, CIN… ,880
5 – Nolan Jones, COL… ,852
*official batting appearances
(before matches on Wednesday July 19)
“Hard not to think about it” – Édouard Julien
The Minnesota Twins are dealing with a nice problem: Quebecer Édouard Julien is on fire, while veteran and second baseman Jorge Polanco is on the verge of returning to the game.
“It’s hard not to think about it, when a reason why I’m here is because the second baseman is injured,” Julien confessed Tuesday night, as quoted on the Major League Baseball website.
Jorge Polanco
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Injured in a thigh, Polanco is currently completing his fitness at the AAA level, with the Saints of St. Paul. While Julien multiplies the hits against the Mariners in Seattle, the 30-year-old Dominican was shut out in four appearances Tuesday night in Omaha, being retired three times on strikes in passing.
An annoyed manager
Polanco nevertheless stands out as a player with more experience at second base for the Twins.
“Julien has been quite a hitter since his recall and you don’t want to lose his bat either,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said of Polanco’s potential return. I don’t know what we’re going to do, we need a lot of good players to achieve our goals.”
Julien, hitter of choice?
The Minnesota team could very well keep Polanco and Julien in its ranks, occasionally using the Quebecer as the hitter of choice.
“I know that the best for the team is probably to have Polanco and me in the same formation, noted Julien himself. It would be the best scenario, but I’m ready for anything.”