(Saint Paul) The Quebecer Édouard Julien, recalled Tuesday by the Twins, would play his first game in Major League Baseball, Wednesday afternoon, when the Minnesota team host the Chicago White Sox.
Julien, from Quebec City, was recalled from the St. Paul Saints, the Twins’ AAA farm club, to make up for the loss of Joey Gallo. According to several reporters assigned to cover the Twins, Julien would start the game at second base and hit eighth in the offensive role.
One of the Twins’ hottest prospects — and the 96th prospect in all of Major League Baseball, according to MLB Pipeline — Julien was off to a stellar start to the season at the AAA level, as evidenced by his .290/.421/.548 offensive averages . The World Baseball Classic player for Canada hit two home runs and four RBIs in addition to scoring nine in nine games.
After a great season at the AA level in 2022 with Wichita (.300/.441/.490, 17 CC, 67 PP and 77 PC), the Twins promoted Julien to the Arizona Fall League (AFL), where only the best hopes of the Majors play. He did not disappoint them.
Julien maintained a .400 batting average in addition to leading the league in presence/power average, at 1.249. His .563 attendance average was the third highest in AFL history and he finished second in the Fall Tour MVP ballot.
The baseball player, who turns 24 on April 30, was drafted in the 18th round, 539th overall, by the Twins in 2019.