Austin Martin or Edouard Julien: Who is a better bench fit?

On Tuesday afternoon, the Twins added veteran first baseman Ty France on a one-year deal for $1 million non-guaranteed.

There is reason to believe that France, who vastly under performed after a heel injury in 2024, will be better heading into 2025. Should that happen, it's safe to assume he will make the roster as the team's primary first baseman and one less spot up for grabs for two players who will be working for it.

It seems like an increasing possibility that Edouard Julien and Austin Martin will use their Spring Training to secure one of the last spots on the 26-man roster.

Both bring value to the team in different facets of the game, and both have things they can work on in the event they start the season in Triple-A with the St. Paul Saints.

Austin Martin

Making his debut in 2024, Martin was a fun piece, mostly coming off Rocco Baldelli's bench.

Playing three positions in his rookie campaign, albeit mostly under league average defensively, makes his defensive flexibility a unique tool. He had a minus-13 DRS rating in the outfield last season, but something to factor into that is getting a feel for major league ballparks.

Still, there needs to be improvement in his outfield production if he wants to stick with the club. Despite being a below-average defender on the Excel sheet, he has shown flashes of his athletic ability.

The biggest area of improvement is on offense.

He has game-breaking speed and awareness on the bases and his aggressive play has already provided value in the bench chess pieces. He is in the 75th percentile in sprint speed, but the biggest hurdle he has is getting on base to utilize that talent.

In his 93 games, Martin posted a .294 wOBA, which is well below the league average. Martin has shown, with a .259 xBA, that he is making solid contact, but he needs to adjust where the ball is placed. The offensive and defensive potential are there; he needs to put it all together.

Edouard Julien

The once fast-rising prospect known for his sweet swing, Julien had a lackluster year after being a core piece of the 2023 team.

Julien produced a 135 wRC+ in his rookie season which left the organization optimistic and fans excited for years to come. Moving into 2023, Julien was penciled in as the primary second baseman for good reason. Although his numbers in the field were poor, his offensive production offset that, and came out of the season with a 2.8 fWAR.

The 2024 season was a different story altogether. His defense was even worse than 2023 (minus-3 DRS vs. minus-6 DRS), his production fell off a cliff, and he even needed a reset in St. Paul, ultimately leaving a gap in the team's second base plans.

He had some flashes of his same production in 2023, but never remained consistent enough to stay in the lineup.

Many don't expect the production to stay down for long, with Fangraphs and ZiPS projecting a 108 wRC+, 28 points higher than last season, along with a fWAR projection of 1.2.

Unlike Martin, Julien doesn't have the defensive flexibility to play nearly anywhere on the diamond, so what does he need to do?

If the Twins are going to bank on Julien returning to 2023 form, he needs to improve his defense while also learning a new position. Pressure from Brooks Lee will require Julien to make adjustments.

With the Twins bringing in France on a one-year deal, the Twins will need a contingency plan for a backup on the corner of the infield.

Julien has 329 innings of experience at first base, but because he isn't a lock defensively on second due to poor defense, the Twins may be able to afford to move him to first base if he can up his production this season.