Edouard Julien

Edouard Julien's Biography

Edouard Julien is a Canadian-born professional baseball player famous for playing as a second baseman for the Minnesota Twins, a prominent team in Major League Baseball (MLB). Born on April 30, 1999, Julien mostly spent his early days in Quebec City, Canada, where he attended Cardinal-Roy Secondary School. After high school, he got an opportunity to be selected by the Philadelphia Phillies during the 37th round of the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. However, Julien declined the offer and instead enrolled at Auburn University to play college baseball for the Auburn Tigers.

After moving to Auburn, Julien faced a significant challenge – language. He struggled with communicating in English, but this did not inhibit his pursuit and passion for baseball. In 2018, while still in college, he joined the Falmouth Commodores for the summer collegiate baseball season at the Cape Cod Baseball League and then the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the subsequent year.

By the end of Julien’s sophomore year at Auburn, the Minnesota Twins had picked him in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB Draft. His initial plan was to go back to Auburn and complete his junior year, but the Twins made him an offer he couldn’t resist, valuing at $493,000. This pushed Julien to finally sign off on the deal and dive deep into his professional baseball career.

However, Julien’s professional journey had a rough start, having undergone surgery and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in a delay of his debut to 2021. That year, he punched his professional ticket with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels and later got promoted to play with the Cedar Rapids Kernels. In the following year, he joined the Wichita Wind Surge for the 2022 season. Additionally, he made remarkable strides in the 2022 Arizona Fall League where he led the league in runs and walks while realizing a .365/.535/.683 batting average.

On November 15, 2022, the Minnesota Twins took essential steps to protect Julien from the Rule 5 draft by including him in their 40-man roster. The fraternity further escalated Julien. He began the 2023 season with the Triple-A St. Paul Saints who later promoted him to the major leagues after achieving a .276 average with 29 at-bats. His first interaction in the major leagues came on April 12, and the following day, he showcased his talent by recording his first major league hit and home run against the New York Yankees, all in a single inning. His 2023 season was wrapped up with an impressive .263/.381/.459 slash line, 16 home runs, 37 RBIs, and 16 doubles, which captured the attention of American League Rookie of the Year voters, securing him seventh place.

Besides his professional career, Julien has a noteworthy presence in international baseball competitions. In 2019, he took part in the Pan American Games under Team Canada and earned a silver medal. However, an injury incurred during the games would later require Tommy John surgery. Julien made his second interaction with the international competition in 2023 during the World Baseball Classic. He dominated the tournament, leading them in slugging percentage and OPS and hitting a home run on his very first pitch against Great Britain’s Akeel Morris. Despite their collective effort, Team Canada narrowly missed the cut after losing to Great Britain and Colombia.

In conclusion, Edouard Julien’s meteoric rise in baseball hasn’t been without its share of challenges. In 2018, he faced legal consequences related to public intoxication and criminal littering when he was at Auburn, Alabama. He was sentenced to perform community service, a punishment reflective of a regrettable moment but not representative of his ongoing fruitful and dedication-filled professional baseball career.