Rockies Already Seeing Immediate Returns From Eduardo Julien Trade

A good chunk of the Colorado Rockies roster was overhauled during the offseason, with much of the change coming on the pitching side of things.

Despite the focus on shoring up the arms, there were still some significant additions to the lineup that new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta hoped would light a fire underneath an offense that needs to produce at a high level if the Rockies are to have success.

Through the early going of the 2026 campaign, several names have made hay while the sun has shined for the Rockies’ offense.

Mickey Moniak has been on an absolute tear; Hunter Goodman has picked up right where he left off in 2025; TJ Rumfield has provided some nice run production in the middle of the order.

But out of the new additions to the squad, no player has impacted the lineup more than Edouard Julien.

Early Returns from a Key Addition

Colorado Rockies designated hitter Edouard Julien. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

This is surprising, yes, but it’s also not all that shocking.

Julien, who is in his fourth season in the big leagues — three of which came with the Minnesota Twins — has had an up-and-down career.

His first season in the Twin Cities in 2023 was a spectacular example of what could be. He slashed .263/.381/.459 with a 130 OPS+. He smashed 16 home runs and drove in 37 runs, making him an integral part of a Twins team that won its first postseason game in 19 years.

And then something changed.

For the next two seasons, Julien just flat-out couldn’t hit. He slashed .208/.299/.324 from 2023-24, hitting just 11 home runs and driving in only 33 runs. Julien walked 64 times during his rookie season yet only had 55 combined walks over the next two seasons.

Edouard Julien in his last 7 games:

13-for-28 (.464)
7 RBI
1.230 OPS pic.twitter.com/lQMoAeoIOM
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) April 29, 2026

Injuries and a lack of playing time were to blame for a good chunk of the lack of production, but that couldn’t have been all of it. Something just wasn’t right, which led to the Twins trading him alongside Pierson Ohl to the Rockies this past winter.

Based on the early-season production, it appears the Rockies might have fleeced the fine folks of Minneapolis.

A Hot Start in Colorado

Colorado Rockies second baseman Edouard Julien. | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Julien is a hit machine at the moment. His .308 batting average is among the best on the Rockies — only Troy Johnston (.315) and Moniak (.310) are ahead of him — and his 12.4% walk rate is the best he’s posted since his phenomenal rookie season.

Long gone Eddy! pic.twitter.com/A2SxWtDAjV
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) April 28, 2026

He’s also impacting the baseball with power. Through 89 plate appearances, he’s hit two home runs, which on paper might not seem like a lot, but it’s one shy of his total from all of last season. The same goes for RBIs. Julien drove in 12 runs in 2025, and he already has that many in 2026. That’s pretty outstanding stuff.

Julien’s turnaround is the Rockies’ gain. With him at the top of the lineup, they have a player who consistently gets on base via hits and walks — the perfect recipe for a successful leadoff hitter.

While it’s not certain that he will continue to play as well as he is right now, the early returns suggest that the Rockies are in good shape offensively, at least for the time being.

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