Canadian Baseball Network POW, Week I - Edouard Julien

Fromer Academie du Baseball Canada and Auburn slugger Edouard Julien (Quebec, Que.) going deep at the World Baseball Classic, is being promoted to the Minnesota Twins.

April 12, 2023

By George Farelli

Canadian Baseball Network

We usually look at the highest batting average, the most home runs, RBIs or the most scoreless innings when trying to decide who is the Canadian Baseball Network minor league player of the year.

Yet, opening week is always a short week.

So, we’re going to go straight to the hit column. Others had higher batting averages, but only one player had more hits than former ABC and Auburn slugger Edouard Julien (Quebec, Que.) who led Canadians in slugging and OPS at the World Baseball Classic last month. Tyler O’Neill (Maple Ridge, B.C.) led Canuck hitters with a .636 average and a .714 on-base mark. But Julien, who had the same on-base percentage slugged 1.000 and had a 1.714 OPS in four games.

Former Ontario Blue Jays C Bo Naylor (Mississauga, Ont.) also had eight hits in the opening week of the minor league season. Both Julien and him batted .276 and knocked in two runs. But Julien wins 1-0 on phone calls.

Julien was scratched from the triple-A St. Paul Saints Tuesday night and will be at Target Field Wednesday afternoon when the Twins host the Chicago White Sox. He takes the roster spot of Joey Gallo, who was placed on the 10-day injured list.

Best Offensive Performances

Names Level Team At-Bats Runs Hits HRs Avg.

Damiano Palmegiani AA New Hampshire 9 2 4 - .444

Otto Lopez AAA Buffao 21 6 7 - .333

Jared Young AAA Iowa 9 2 3 1 .333

Matt Coutney A Inland Empire 9 1 3 1 .333

Tristan Peters AA Montgomery 10 2 3 - .300

Bo Naylor AAA Columbus 29 5 8 2 .276

Edouard Julien AAA St. Paul 29 9 8 2 .276

(Due to a shortened week, minimum required AB’s reduced to nine for Week I only)

Best Pitching Performances

Names Level Team Games Win Save Era Inn

Brock Dykxhoorn FGN Taiwan 1 1 - 0.00 6.2

Brock Dykxhoorn (Goderich, Ont.) had a strong start to his 2023 season with the Uni President 7-Up Lions in Taiwan’s Chinese Pro League on April 4, and his efforts resulted in the Lions 1-0 win over league rivals Chinatrust Brothers. He pitched 6 2/3 innings, allowing two base hits and zero runs while striking out five, to earn his first win of the year.

Canadiana Baseball Network

Players of the Week

Week I _ Edouard Julien (Quebec, Que.), Twins.