It took longer than Minnesota Twins fans would have liked, but Edouard Julien's bat finally came to life this season.
Through nine games Julien was hitting an abysmal .107 and looked like a shell of the star rookie who helped revive the Twins' offense last season. He turned the clock back on Wednesday against the Dodgers, going 3-for-4 with a pair of home runs and helping end Minnesota's four game losing streak.
Among the players Twins fans can thank for this offensive surge from Julien is Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. The series in Minnesota was a reunion of sorts between master and apprentice, something the former MVP touched on while praising Julien.
Twins fans will love Freddie Freeman awesome story about Edouard Julien
Tucked away in yet another excellent piece by Dan Hayes over at The Athletic was a story from Dodgers star Freddie Freeman about just how much Julien wants to be great. Freeman recalled when Julien used some brief time during the World Baseball Classic to pick his brain.
“He was always asking questions about approaching certain situations, left-handed pitching,” Freeman said. “He wanted every little detail because he wants to be really, really good. It was fun.”
Freeman said that the time they spend together wasn't long, but rather than just gab for a bit he was impressed with how Julien was trying to squeeze any sort of knowledge out of him.
"When I first saw him, it’s just the approach, the care. … Everybody has different mechanics, how they do things. But someone who can stick to an approach, pitch after pitch, that’s what sets them apart.”
Julien's quiet start to the season was indicative of the entire Twins lineup. Outside of Royce Lewis, Carlos Correa, and Alex Kirilloff there hasn't been much to write home about, and one of those guys only played two innings of the season.
Minnesota needs Julien's production now more than ever after losing Lewis, and Wedensday was a sight for sore eyes. If that's a sign of things to come, it sounds like it won't just be Twins fans smiling and nodding in appreciation.