Twins spring training: Bailey Ober, Eddy Julien stay hot against Tigers

Bailey Ober continued his excellent spring and Edouard Julien's bat remained hot as the Twins took on the Tigers on Tuesday afternoon in Fort Myers, FL. Minnesota had a 5-0 lead after four innings but allowed three runs in both the sixth and the ninth, losing 6-5.

While Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan have been a bit shaky this spring, Ober has been dominant. He threw five scoreless innings against Detroit, allowing just two hits and one walk. He also generated nine swings and misses and struck out two batters.

Across 17 innings and four starts, Ober has given up three earned runs, which is good for a 1.59 ERA. The 6'9" right-hander will presumably make one final spring training start before lining up to pitch in the second or third game of the Twins' season-opening series in St. Louis at the end of this month. Based on what we saw from Ober last year, it wouldn't be remotely surprising if he winds up having the best season of any Twins starting pitcher in 2025.

Julien, who is coming off a brutal 2024 season that saw him sent down to Triple-A St. Paul multiple times, opened this spring with just three hits in his first 17 at-bats. Since March 7, though, he's gone 10 for 26 (.384) with seven runs scored and six RBI.

On Tuesday, Julien was the only Twins player with multiple hits, as he singled in the first inning and then drove in a run with a booming double in the third. Both hits left his bat at over 105 miles per hour, per Statcast. The double traveled 408 feet to center field and would've been a home run at 15 of 30 MLB stadiums. Julien later drove in a second run with a groundout.

Coming into this spring, Julien's spot on the Twins' roster was far from guaranteed. But with Royce Lewis getting hurt and Julien having a strong spring, he's now a virtual lock to make it. Even if he isn't in the Opening Day lineup, he should get plenty of opportunities to play at second base, first base, or designated hitter this season.

Harrison Bader, Mickey Gasper, and Austin Martin also drove in runs during the Twins' four-run fourth inning. In the top of the sixth, Eiberson Castellano — Minnesota's Rule 5 Draft pick who has had a rough spring — allowed three earned runs on a walk, a hit by pitch, and two singles.

Louis Varland and Jorge Alcala combined for 2.1 good innings to get the Twins to the ninth up 5-3, but Jhoan Duran came in for the save opportunity and couldn't get it done. Duran gave up a walk, a single, and another walk, then was pulled after 24 pitches with the bases loaded and one out. The Tigers would score all three baserunners on another walk and a Jeferson Morales fielding error.

The Twins have just six games left on their spring training slate. All six will be televised.

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