October 24, 2022

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

ABC and Junior National Team alum Edouard Julien continued his torrid hitting with the Arizona Fall League’s Glendale Desert Dogs on Saturday when he belted two home runs and drove in five in his club’s 9-7 loss to the Scottsdale Scorpions at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

A highly regarded Minnesota Twins prospect, Julien (Quebec City, Que.) is now batting .364 with a .544 on-base percentage (OBP) and 1.180 OPS in 10 games for the Desert Dogs. He also has 11 runs and 13 walks.

His outstanding Arizona Fall League performance comes on the heels of him being named the second baseman on Baseball America’s Double-A All-Star Team.

Julien enjoyed a breakout campaign with the Twins' double-A Wichita Wind Surge in 2022, his second pro season. In 113 games, the 23-year-old batted.300 and posted a .441 OBP and a .931 OPS. He had 120 hits, including 19 doubles, three triples and 17 home runs. He also walked 98 times, scored 77 runs, knocked in 67 and had 19 stolen bases.

Selected in the 18th round of the 2019 MLB draft out of Auburn University, Julien received a $493,000 signing bonus from the Twins. In 2021, he split his first pro season between class-A and Advanced-A, batting .267 with a .434 OBP. He drew 110 walks and belted 18 home runs, while also stealing 34 bases. Baseball America ranks him as the Twins’ No. 10 prospect.

One of Julien’s teammates on the Desert Dogs is Toronto Mets alum Tyler Black (Stouffville, Ont.). Starting in centre field and batting sixth on Saturday, Black clubbed his first home run of the Arizona Fall League season.

Black is batting .239 with a .407 OBP in 13 games for the Desert Dogs. He was selected 33rd overall by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2021 draft, which made him the first Canadian chosen.

In 64 games with the Advanced-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in 2022, Black hit .281 and had a .406 OBP. He had four home runs and 35 RBIs. Baseball America ranks the 22-year-old as the Brewers’ sixth-best prospect.