Barely a week after the Twins were eliminated, Édouard Julien is back home with mixed feelings. Disappointed by his team’s playoff exit but proud of his first season in Major League Baseball, he plans to work hard over the next few months to solidify his place in the Major Leagues.
• Also read: Édouard Julien and the Twins’ season is over
So many emotions for the 24-year-old from Quebec in the last few months! A first game in the majors on April 12, a first home run at Yankee Stadium the next day, a presence in the playoffs, a win against the Jays, then another memorable home run against the Houston Astros before being eliminated. fateful. Phew!
It is easy to understand that at the end of such a cyclone, Julien, having barely returned to Earth, still feels a slight dizziness.
Édouard Julien took a bit of a media bath upon his return to Quebec, a few days after the Minnesota Twins’ season ended. Photo Stevens LeBlanc
“I haven’t had time to really think about it yet. It’s been a week since it ended and I’m still disappointed with the defeat we experienced. Looking back, I enjoyed my season, had a lot of fun and learned so much.
“The season more than met my expectations. I dreamed of it, but I had no idea what the Major Leagues were. There are many new things that I have experienced. Being successful on the biggest stage is positive for me, but I still have a lot to learn,” commented the Quebec slugger, once again contacting the media of his city.
A place to keep
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
The dust hasn’t settled yet and Julien is already thinking about the next campaign. After all, that’s the reality of being a Major League Baseball rookie.
Although this rookie ranked first in fielding average (.381), third in batting average (.263), sixth in home runs (16) and second in points scored (60).
It would be a very poor understanding of Julien if one assumed that he enjoys his achievements and good statistics.
“My goal is to work all season to arrive at camp ready and show the Twins that I have my spot and solidify it. I will never take my position for granted.
“I want to show that I can help the team win a World Series. When you experience the life of a major league player and see how everyone treats you as a professional player, you don’t really want to go all the way down,” he said.
A beautiful climb
The rise has been meteoric for the man who was selected by the Twins in the 18th round, the 539th overall pick in the 2019 draft.
After an adjustment period at the beginning of the season, Julien took his path and never looked back. He says he really felt more in his own skin after the All-Star break.
“I realized that I really had a chance to stay and that I had my place in the majors. I felt like the guys respected me. “The biggest thing for me is the respect of my teammates,” he said.
A game to refine
Getty Images via AFP
Of course, feeling comfortable in his place doesn’t mean Julien thinks he’s succeeded. The man who primarily patrolled the second band is more focused on the task ahead than anything he experienced in Minnesota this summer.
“I’m not someone who likes to talk about myself and what I’ve achieved. I’m proud of what I’ve done, but when I look back I mostly think about what I could do better and what I could improve on. That’s what keeps me going in the offseason.
“I want to improve my game in all facets. For the last three years we have talked about my defense. Today I want to better master layers, curves and high rapids. “I want to come into training camp in good shape and recover from all my minor injuries so that I can be healthy at the start of the season,” he summarized.
A remarkable playoff appearance
Édouard Julien had every reason to celebrate his home run in the playoffs against the Astros, a moment he describes as remarkable in his young career. Getty Images via AFP
Although Édouard Julien’s season was marked by unforgettable moments, none were more memorable than the hit home run against the Astros in the sixth inning of Game 4 of the American League Division Series.
On this occasion, Julien became the first Canadian rookie player in history to catapult a ball to the other side of the fence in an elimination duel.
“There was all the pressure, in a moment that counts. You can’t really describe it. When I hit the ball to the opposite field, I didn’t know if it would come out, but I had a good idea.
“When you see the fans in the stands standing up and screaming your name as you run through the bases, you can’t think about anything. When it happens, it’s surreal. At the same time, all I was thinking in my head was that it was 3-2, we were still losing by one run and my next shot was going to be the most important performance of the year,” he said, looking back on the performance.
Hard to accept
Furthermore, it’s easy to see that Julien still hasn’t gotten over the Twins’ elimination, even though he had a brilliant playoff run on an individual level.
“It’s hard to bear when you’re so close. You are just one point or one goal away from tying the game or taking the lead. We don’t expect to lose when we get there. We believe we will win the World Series. When I see the Astros playing the Rangers on TV right now, it’s difficult because I know we had success against them during the season and believed in our chances,” he said.
Still, he’s elated that the Twins won the Central Division with 87 wins and believes it won’t be a long-term move until October.
“I am very optimistic that the Twins will win a World Series in the next few years,” he said. We are very young and I believe that our young players have shown that they can play in the major leagues. We also have a very good mix of veterans who will stay with us for a long time.
Against the Jays
Another highlight of Julien’s season was his playoff baptism against the team he loved so much as a child: the Toronto Jays.
“I grew up watching the Jays do the batflip with Jose Bautista. That’s what got me into playing baseball and made me want to play at the next level. To say we beat the Jays in two games and it’s been a long time since the Twins won is incredible to me,” he smiled.
IN SUMMARY…
A long-term contract?
After earning Major League Baseball’s minimum salary of $720,000 this season, Édouard Julien isn’t losing sleep over the idea of signing a long-term contract, but if the Twins approach him about a more lucrative contract, he will Of course, don’t let his arm twist. “I have been with the team for six years. Since I haven’t played a full year, the team still has the rights to me for another six years. In two years I will be able to negotiate my annual contract, but if the Twins want to offer me a long-term contract, there is no way I will close the door,” he said.
A new celebrity
Discreet by nature, Édouard Julien is quietly learning to cope with the fame that comes with his status, even if he can still easily maintain a private life at the moment. “I am a normal person who fits in with the population. I’m not the most famous person yet. I’m just a minor baseball player and it’s not the most popular sport in Quebec. I see him a little in the streets of Quebec or Minnesota, which I recognize a little better. We have to deal with it and treat everyone with respect,” he said.
Enough is enough!
Édouard Julien, nicknamed the “God of Walking,” was often praised for his patient approach to batting. He doesn’t hesitate to say that early in his career in the majors, he was given so much information about opposing pitchers that he quickly realized that too much equaled too little. “You have so many ideas in your head and you come to bat a little lost. It was the first few weeks that gave me grief. I thought a little too much and the throw was already over. When I returned to the majors the second time, I adjusted by telling myself that it was the same game I’d played since I was a kid and I just took the stats that helped me “, he explained.
ÉDOUARD JULIEN’S STATISTICS
In the regular season
Batting average: .263
Average Trail Presence: .381
Performance average: .459
Hits: 89
Doubles: 16
Groups of three: 1
Home runs: 16
Points scored: 37
Points counted: 60
Stolen goals: 3
Bases on balls: 45
Strikeouts: 128
In series
Batting average: .294
Average Trail Presence: .455
Performance average: .588
Hits: 5
Doubles: 2
Groups of three: 0
Home runs: 1
Points scored: 2
Points scored: 2
Stolen goals: 0
Bases on balls: 5
Strikeouts: 8