Minnesota Twins' second baseman Edouard Julien spent the offseason working on his ability to hit left-handed pitching.
The rookie came up to the big leagues last season and was an integral part of the team winning the American League Central, but he hit just .196 in only 48 at-bats against lefties. This year, he attacked the issue and hopes to make himself a more well-rounded player.
Per the Minneapolis Star-Tribune:
"This offseason was the first time where I attacked it," said Julien, who set up a pitching machine to feed him balls from the lefty angle, and he paid a left-handed pitcher in Montreal to throw him batting practice regularly. "I changed a couple of things in my swing to adjust to the slider and be able to hit the fastball against lefties."
The article states that the team likely will use Kyle Farmer against lefties to start the year, but if Julien can prove that his adjustments have paid off, then maybe he can get a more prominent role in the everyday lineup.
The 24-year-old native of Montreal hit .263 last season with 16 homers in 338 at-bats. A full season of his contributions, plus healthy seasons from Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis, should make the Twins' offense even more potent in 2024.
The question about the Twins will be about their starting pitching: Top starter Sonny Gray departed in free agency and signed a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals, and the organization didn't do much to replace him.
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