The 2023 season has been a roller coaster for the Minnesota Twins. They have been incredibly streaky over the past few weeks, winning a few games in a row and then immediately following that with a losing streak. One thing that has stayed consistent, though, is the production from their young stars. Matt Wallner, Edouard Julien, and Royce Lewis have each burst onto the scene this year and immediately contributed to a lineup that has been struggling for most of the season. Julien, Wallner, and Lewis have all played a major part in the Twins remaining in first place to this point in the year.
Let’s take a closer look at how each of them has helped Minnesota lately.
Edouard Julien has been a revelation for the Twins in his rookie season. He’s hitting .293/.386/.486 with 10 home runs and 20 runs batted in. Julien has cooled off a bit lately, hitting .238/.360/.238 over his last seven games. Still, he has been a huge help to Minnesota’s offense since the All-Star break. He has recently shown that he is also comfortable being in the leadoff spot. Having a guy like Julien that can consistently get on base at the top of the order gives the lineup a major boost.
Royce Lewis has also given Minnesota’s offense a much-needed boost of energy this year. Lewis is hitting .343/.380/.490 on the season with four homers and 17 runs batted in. He missed over a month of play while on the IL, but he made an impact quickly upon his return. In Wednesday’s loss to the Detroit Tigers, Lewis went 3-4 with an RBI double and a stolen base. That’s the kind of contribution that the Twins sorely missed while Lewis was out in July. If he can return to the form that he was in before he landed on the injured list, he could end up being a huge piece of the stretch run.
Matt Wallner has also made a huge impact on the team since being called up. Some of his numbers are not exactly spectacular, as he has a .239 batting average on the year and a .174 average over his last seven games. Despite this, when he has come up with hits, they have often been big. In the series finale with the Arizona Diamondbacks, Wallner ended the game with a walk-off homer off Arizona’s newly-acquired closer Paul Sewald.
In the next home game, he hit a game-winning grand slam to beat the Tigers. Wallner nearly walked it off again in the next game, but he came just a few feet short. His ability to hit for power in key spots will be crucial for the Twins as they try to wrap up a division title over the final month and a half of the season.
Julien, Lewis, and Wallner have each shown signs of maturity in their brief time in the big leagues. With many young prospects, it can take some time for them to adjust to the majors, but they have made a difference almost instantly. In a season where veterans like Carlos Correa and Byron Buxton have struggled and dealt with injuries, other players have needed to pick up the slack. Minnesota’s trio of rookies have done that with aplomb. The Twins are in prime position to make the playoffs. If they get there, we could see Julien, Lewis and Wallner make an impact on the biggest stage.
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