The year 2023 is almost coming to an end, which means an end-of-year review. At the national level, there is, in my opinion, a Quebecer about whom we unfortunately do not talk enough. He really stood out for his talent and charisma. This man: Édouard Julien.
The native of Quebec City helped to promote Quebec to the four corners of America. His presence, his enthusiasm and his stats speak for themselves. He managed to establish himself as a regular player in the Majors and a key element of his training in his rookie season, which is saying something!
In a good category
When you take the time to watch Julien play, one aspect of his game that stands out is his patience at the plate. Beyond his patience, it is his eye for batting that makes him a formidable hitter.
Indeed, the 24-year-old rarely takes shots outside the strike zone. This is an extraordinary quality to have in your batting toolbox!
To confirm everything, a very eloquent statistic speaks for itself. During the most recent campaign, the Minnesota Twins player ranked fifth in MLB in walk-to-walk ratio among batters with more than 400 plate appearances.
Who is ahead of him, you are probably wondering? In order :
- Aaron Judge
- Juan Soto
- Kyle Schwarber
- Andrew McCutchen
We're talking about elite baseball hitters, recognized by everyone for their fantastic batting skills, nothing less!
Julien is still young and he can only continue to improve. The best is undeniably yet to come in his case.
A thought for Quebec baseball
Just this morning, I watched the report Le Naturel, produced by RDS, on the life of Michel Laplante. I had previously recorded it, but not yet watched it due to lack of time. Being a French teacher comes with its share of corrections!
In the excellent report, we get to know Mr. Laplante, a man passionate about life and baseball. Its history is fascinating. We quickly see the importance that Michel Laplante has in the world of baseball in the National Capital region, whether through all of his work with the Capitales de Québec, his involvement in the B45 bat company or again and above all the dome (bubble) project to allow young ball players to practice their sport that they love so much 365 days a year. This man is a shadow hero, nothing less.
As stated by Marc Griffin in the report, Mr. Laplante's involvement undoubtedly allowed a guy like Édouard Julien to be a baseball player in the best league in the world.
If we also want to allow other young people to realize their dreams and accomplish great things in life like Édouard Julien does, we need more men like Michel Laplante.
Besides, Mr. Laplante, if you ever read these few lines, we should talk to each other to write an article about you 😉
