Royce Lewis

[stringer bell]

Royce Lewis is certainly an interesting young baseball player. At the tender age of 26, he has looked the part of superstar, face of the franchise, scapegoat, great example of dealing with adversity and immature whiner all in the course of about three years. Honestly, I think he might be a bit of all of those things, but on balance he's enigmatic and a bit of a tease.

Royce broke into MLB  in 2022 with a buzzworthy cameo filling in for Carlos Correa and then famously re-injuring himself in his first and only game in center field. I would say the fan consensus was "he looks like a tremendous talent", but can he stay healthy?" Lewis had already endured one ACL surgery and the second knee injury was a redo--same injury, same knee. Royce returned in mid-2023 and in 58 games performed like a superstar--.921 OPS, 15 homers and 52 RBI with a penchant for grand slams. Despite a muscle pull, Lewis carried the Twins through their first postseason series victory in 20 years with two homers against the Blue Jays. Royce hit two more homers in the series against Houston, but was only 3-16 overall against the Astros. At this point the fan base had Lewis on a pedestal--Kirby Puckett with Killebrew power and the like. Projecting him as a perennial All-Star and face of the franchise didn't seem outlandish.

Another injury on Opening Day of 2024 set Lewis back and certainly increased hand-wringing about his ability to stay on the field. Royce came back in June and continued to hit like a Hall of Famer--10 homers in 24 games and then yet another injury. This time the return didn't go quite so swimmingly. Lewis famously said "I don't do slumps" and proceeded to slump hard. Royce's second half was poor. In the 58 games after the All-Star break, he hit .207 with a .620 OPS and he was part of a second half slide that saw the Twins go from solid playoff contenders to also-rans.

On to 2025. Yet another muscle pull put Lewis on the shelf in Spring Training and he didn't make his '25 debut until May and again he struggled mightily. He hit .130 in May (.403 OPS), but seemed to come out of it in June until he was injured yet again costing him the last two weeks of June. Lewis hasn't missed any time with injury since July 1, his longest stretch of good health since he broke in. He hasn't been a star in the second half of 2025, but he's been a capable player (.757 OPS, 11 homers and 12 steals with good defense at third).

Besides the slumps quote, Lewis has said some things in interviews that make people ponder. He said that he has to be concerned about his hitting stats because he's in arbitration years. He's seemed to question his own ability and his future with the team. The once always sunny and optimistic persona seems to have changed into something else. According to the Star-Trib (behind a paywall) he admitted he returned too early this year and also questioned whether he might be traded in the offseason. I do regard most of what Lewis says as a youngish player who opens a vein quite easily, but I don't think it gives him the best look.

On balance, I'm encouraged by Lewis' post-All Star break performance. The numbers aren't great, but he has seemed more and more healthy and athletic, not just slugging, but running the bases and playing defense. I think mechanically Royce will be prone to slumps because there are a lot of moving parts in his approach and swing and it seems like he can get out of whack pretty easy. Much like Byron Buxton a year ago, Royce can go into an offseason healthy for the first time where he isn't rehabbing one injury or another and maybe, just maybe he'll come back a much better player for that. 

I hope he can rein in some of his offputting quotes without losing his genuineness. I still believe he can be a big asset for the Twins going forward, but like almost everyone else, his struggles and quotes serve to knock him down off his pedestal.

[thelanges5]

Royce’s trajectory is heading in the right direction. He’s been playing solid defense and has some stolen bases. His hitting has been getting better and I agree that it appears he needs to simplify things at the plate. He’s got a 111 OPS+ for his career with some high highs and low lows. I realize there are a lot of “ifs” for this team going into 2026. But if Lewis can continue to play solid D and keep his OPS+ in the 110-120 range, I’ll sign up for that. 

[Vanimal46]

Royce has been frustrating to cheer on the last 2 years with his off-putting quotes. He comes across as a me-first type of player. I was pretty turned off last year when he had the gall to blame last year’s collapse on the veteran players - lumping him in with the “cheap players”. Along with not willing to play 2B when the team was decimated with injuries. 

Now this year he said he didn’t want to change his (failing) approach earlier in the season because it could affect his arbitration number. Idk man, doesn’t sound like a star in the making to me. 

[nicksaviking]

46 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Royce has been frustrating to cheer on the last 2 years with his off-putting quotes. He comes across as a me-first type of player. I was pretty turned off last year when he had the gall to blame last year’s collapse on the veteran players - lumping him in with the “cheap players”. Along with not willing to play 2B when the team was decimated with injuries. 

Now this year he said he didn’t want to change his (failing) approach earlier in the season because it could affect his arbitration number. Idk man, doesn’t sound like a star in the making to me. 

I didn't like the comments, but I understand his frustration. He's supposed to follow this coaching staff's instruction on adjustments, when this coaching staff is about 0 for 20 in helping offensive players make adjustments? Publicly he probably shouldn't have said anything, but ownership is refusing to do ANYTHING to fix the club so I'm all for the players making a stink to demonstrate that this is in fact an extremely dysfunctional organization right now. If it becomes clear the inmates are running the asylum, at some point things will have to change, even if ownership is loathe to do so.

[Linus]

I’m hopeful for Royce but concerned. I blew my knee out and it affects your whole lower body. Your strength is severely diminished while recovering and a slow process to get it back. He seems to be back health wise. His defense is better and he is running better. The bat will be the determining factor - what he’s doing now will not cut it. He has to hit better to have a meaningful career. As far as his odd quotes he strikes me a little like a guy that was born on third base and thought he hit a triple. 

[DocBauer]

I have zero issues with Royce's comments over the past couple of seasons...and there hasn't been many honestly. 

He didn't like trying out 2B during the season? He said directly he was afraid of blowing a big play and would prefer a change in positions during the offseason instead, for better prep and more work put in. That's ALL he said. BUT, he went out and played some 2B, and then worked at it daily for 2025 before the Twins decided they weren't going to play him there.

He's not wrong when he talks about arbitration and salary being dependent on your numbers. But he's probably a little too "opened mouth" while dealing with frustration when he makes some of his comments like this as they come off poorly.

He's a kid who wears his heart on his sleeve and just says whatever he's thinking and feeling. That can make you look good, or make you look bad. I just think he needs to hit the PAUSE button once in a while before he speaks.

ON THE FIELD, he spent the past offaeason not only working out needlessly at 2B, but working with a trusted physical therapist to increase flexibility to try and avoid the soft tissue injuries that have hampered him. Also, he confessed earlier this season about being frustrated not being able to find a base/stance/approach that felt comfortable to him with all of the injuries he's had to endure. 

Open, honest, and understandable.

I guess I'd hope that being healthy the past few months, going in to the offseason, and more hard work, will allow him to play 120 games or more, and FIND that comfort zone he needs. He doesn't have to be Superman. He just needs to be Royce. And as pointed out earlier in the OP, his .757 OPS the past few months is more than acceptable, especially with solid defense.

I think he's still got the potential for more than that, but it's a start.

[Twins_Fan_in_NJ]

Royce has been through a lot the last 2.5 seasons. Burst onto the scene and looked like the Twins' savior. Then injuries hit. Then the slump (but he doesn't do those) hit and lasted for a long time. Then more injuries. Then the fire sale. He's an emotional guy, you can see it in the way he plays. And sometimes those emotions prompt him to say things he shouldn't. A lot of what he said though, mostly about the direction of the team, I have no issues with that. I felt that he was saying what a lot of his teammates were thinking. 

[Mike Sixel]

On 9/22/2025 at 9:49 AM, Vanimal46 said:

Royce has been frustrating to cheer on the last 2 years with his off-putting quotes. He comes across as a me-first type of player. I was pretty turned off last year when he had the gall to blame last year’s collapse on the veteran players - lumping him in with the “cheap players”. Along with not willing to play 2B when the team was decimated with injuries. 

Now this year he said he didn’t want to change his (failing) approach earlier in the season because it could affect his arbitration number. Idk man, doesn’t sound like a star in the making to me. 

Agreed. He sounds very ME centered. That said, plenty of stars are that way, so I'm not sure that indicates if he's going to be great (again) or not. Or healthy. 

If you trade him, you take a real chance he's a star. Or hurt. Or mediocre. 

I keep him around, but I'm not thrilled with it. I admit I never liked the pick.....

[Mike Sixel]

On 9/22/2025 at 10:35 AM, nicksaviking said:

I didn't like the comments, but I understand his frustration. He's supposed to follow this coaching staff's instruction on adjustments, when this coaching staff is about 0 for 20 in helping offensive players make adjustments? Publicly he probably shouldn't have said anything, but ownership is refusing to do ANYTHING to fix the club so I'm all for the players making a stink to demonstrate that this is in fact an extremely dysfunctional organization right now. If it becomes clear the inmates are running the asylum, at some point things will have to change, even if ownership is loathe to do so.

He also blamed others for losses, and refused to switch positions (see, Betts, Mookie, for how to act). 

[karcherd]

4 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

He also blamed others for losses, and refused to switch positions (see, Betts, Mookie, for how to act). 

He didn't refuse to switch positions, he had concerns and showed his willingness during the offseason by working at 2B.  Here is his quote from last year.

“I would feel horrible if they put me out there and I'm missing plays that are routine or something,” Lewis had said on Monday, after his second-base debut. “We have plenty of really good second basemen and I don't want to mess up our defense just because we're going to try something new. It's not Spring Training -- or Triple-A, for that matter.”

Sep 4, 2024

Now if you want to argue that he should have kept quiet or only said something behind the scenes that is fair.  But he did not refuse to move, he was concerned about the timing which I don't entirely blame him for.  The Twins think everyone is a chess piece and can be moved around, but these are humans and you do want them to be comfortable, that sets them up for a better chance for success.· 

 

[KirbyDome89]

8 minutes ago, karcherd said:

He didn't refuse to switch positions, he had concerns and showed his willingness during the offseason by working at 2B.  Here is his quote from last year.

“I would feel horrible if they put me out there and I'm missing plays that are routine or something,” Lewis had said on Monday, after his second-base debut. “We have plenty of really good second basemen and I don't want to mess up our defense just because we're going to try something new. It's not Spring Training -- or Triple-A, for that matter.”

Sep 4, 2024

Now if you want to argue that he should have kept quiet or only said something behind the scenes that is fair.  But he did not refuse to move, he was concerned about the timing which I don't entirely blame him for.  The Twins think everyone is a chess piece and can be moved around, but these are humans and you do want them to be comfortable, that sets them up for a better chance for success.· 

 

No, he just publicly complained about being asked to play 2B and played off his angst over the request as some sort of team first move when in fact, it was the opposite. It clearly worked, Lewis didn't play on the right side of the infield after he made the comments so while he technically didn't outright refuse the move, his reaction in essence forced the same outcome.

The Twins wanted his bat in the lineup, and having Lewis available at 2B allowed them to consistently put their best bats (Lewis included) in those remaining games. The team wasn't asking him to shift to 2B just for the hell of it...

[KirbyDome89]

On 9/22/2025 at 6:56 PM, DocBauer said:

I have zero issues with Royce's comments over the past couple of seasons...and there hasn't been many honestly. 

He didn't like trying out 2B during the season? He said directly he was afraid of blowing a big play and would prefer a change in positions during the offseason instead, for better prep and more work put in. That's ALL he said. BUT, he went out and played some 2B, and then worked at it daily for 2025 before the Twins decided they weren't going to play him there.

He's not wrong when he talks about arbitration and salary being dependent on your numbers. But he's probably a little too "opened mouth" while dealing with frustration when he makes some of his comments like this as they come off poorly.

He's a kid who wears his heart on his sleeve and just says whatever he's thinking and feeling. That can make you look good, or make you look bad. I just think he needs to hit the PAUSE button once in a while before he speaks.

ON THE FIELD, he spent the past offaeason not only working out needlessly at 2B, but working with a trusted physical therapist to increase flexibility to try and avoid the soft tissue injuries that have hampered him. Also, he confessed earlier this season about being frustrated not being able to find a base/stance/approach that felt comfortable to him with all of the injuries he's had to endure. 

Open, honest, and understandable.

I guess I'd hope that being healthy the past few months, going in to the offseason, and more hard work, will allow him to play 120 games or more, and FIND that comfort zone he needs. He doesn't have to be Superman. He just needs to be Royce. And as pointed out earlier in the OP, his .757 OPS the past few months is more than acceptable, especially with solid defense.

I think he's still got the potential for more than that, but it's a start.

The bolded is revisionist. He also said the team had good 2B, plural, which absolutely wasn't true, hence the willingness of the Twins to put Royce at 2B simply to keep his bat (along with others) in the lineup for a push at the postseason. He didn't play "some 2B," he played a whopping 8 innings with only 1 start, after which he made it known he didn't want to be there and like magic, he never appeared there again. 

Lewis is 26, he's been playing professionally for 8 season's now. Lewis is certainly allowed to be candid, and there's part of me that does find it refreshing, even if I don't love what he has to say, but I think he's beyond the point of being able to use the kid moniker as cover.

[DocBauer]

12 minutes ago, KirbyDome89 said:

The bolded is revisionist. He also said the team had good 2B, plural, which absolutely wasn't true, hence the willingness of the Twins to put Royce at 2B simply to keep his bat (along with others) in the lineup for a push at the postseason. He didn't play "some 2B," he played a whopping 8 innings with only 1 start, after which he made it known he didn't want to be there and like magic, he never appeared there again. 

Lewis is 26, he's been playing professionally for 8 season's now. Lewis is certainly allowed to be candid, and there's part of me that does find it refreshing, even if I don't love what he has to say, but I think he's beyond the point of being able to use the kid moniker as cover.

Wait, even if I don't recall the statement of him saying the Twins had "good options at 2B" , you're saying him NOT being negative about his fellow teammates is a bad thing? 

How does that equate to him saying he didn't want to transition to 2B mid season because he was worried about blowing an important play? 

Should he have said instead we don't have anyone good at 2B so I'll give it a try mid season? That's what he should have said instead?

By your own post he DID play some 2B. Rocco makes out the lineup. Lewis does not. Lewis also spent a lot of the offseason playing 2B to get ready for 2025 and then the Twins said don't worry about it. 

Do you have a personal grudge against Lewis? Or are you just a frustrated fan looking to vent? Because I really don't see any issue here.

[Vanimal46]

3 hours ago, karcherd said:

He didn't refuse to switch positions, he had concerns and showed his willingness during the offseason by working at 2B.  Here is his quote from last year.

“I would feel horrible if they put me out there and I'm missing plays that are routine or something,” Lewis had said on Monday, after his second-base debut. “We have plenty of really good second basemen and I don't want to mess up our defense just because we're going to try something new. It's not Spring Training -- or Triple-A, for that matter.”

Sep 4, 2024

When did we ever have really good second basemen - plenty according to him - in recent years? Also, let's call a spade a spade. He refused to play an IF position during a time when the team really needed someone to play over there to try and save the season. 

[Vanimal46]

2 hours ago, DocBauer said:

Should he have said instead we don't have anyone good at 2B so I'll give it a try mid season? That's what he should have said instead?

A crazy thought is he plays where the team needs him the most at that time. It's not like it was a permanent move to 2B. They just needed someone better than Julien at 2B. 

[KirbyDome89]

16 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

Wait, even if I don't recall the statement of him saying the Twins had "good options at 2B" , you're saying him NOT being negative about his fellow teammates is a bad thing? 

How does that equate to him saying he didn't want to transition to 2B mid season because he was worried about blowing an important play? 

Should he have said instead we don't have anyone good at 2B so I'll give it a try mid season? That's what he should have said instead?

By your own post he DID play some 2B. Rocco makes out the lineup. Lewis does not. Lewis also spent a lot of the offseason playing 2B to get ready for 2025 and then the Twins said don't worry about it. 

Do you have a personal grudge against Lewis? Or are you just a frustrated fan looking to vent? Because I really don't see any issue here.

Oof that's a stretch. No, I'm saying that the "plenty of good 2B," claim was a way to deflect criticism. Clearly the Twins didn't believe (rightfully so) that they had even competent options at 2B, otherwise they wouldn't be asking their 3B to slide over with 4 weeks left in the season. 

How about just say nothing and occasionally play 2B so the team isn't continuing to feed PAs to Julien and/or Farmer for the last month.

Lol yep, 8 innings is "some," but it's 8 innings. Like I said, we never saw him there again after the public comments. Are we supposed to believe Rocco not penciling him after those comments is coincidental? Idk how much time Lewis put in at 2B in the offseason, nor do I really care, because the 2B ship had sailed at that point.

This is such a weird comment. Kepler's desire to play only RF wasn't a secret. I think his unwillingness to cover CF was selfish and hurt the team at times. I don't ever recall myself, or others, being told that being critical of that decision was akin to holding a grudge. I think if another player, one who wasn't sold to fans as a superstar face of the franchise, was making similar comments the reaction would be far less gentle. 

[DocBauer]

24 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

A crazy thought is he plays where the team needs him the most at that time. It's not like it was a permanent move to 2B. They just needed someone better than Julien at 2B. 

But despite his comments that he didn't want to convert to 2B mid season because he didn't want to blow a game for the team, he still went out there didn't he? And Rocco still fills out the lineup doesn't he? 

And Lewis still spent time this past offseason working at 2B until the Twins told him they had decided against him playing there.

Do we really have to continue repeating ourselves? Do you just really dislike Lewis? Or are you just frustrated he hasn't been the Superman we hoped he might be? 

But I'm really tired of repeating the same circle of comments at this point.

[Vanimal46]

8 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

But despite his comments that he didn't want to convert to 2B mid season because he didn't want to blow a game for the team, he still went out there didn't he?

For 1 game Doc. What would you say if Kody Clemens publicly said he doesn't want to blow a game playing 2B for the team? Or Brooks Lee. Hell, even Ryan Fitzgerald. You'd hope they are a team player right? 

[KirbyDome89]

16 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

Do we really have to continue repeating ourselves? Do you just really dislike Lewis? Or are you just frustrated he hasn't been the Superman we hoped he might be? 

This is such a juvenile argument. Being critical of Royce's decision not to play 2B isn't "hating," on him. 

[DocBauer]

24 minutes ago, KirbyDome89 said:

Oof that's a stretch. No, I'm saying that the "plenty of good 2B," claim was a way to deflect criticism. Clearly the Twins didn't believe (rightfully so) that they had even competent options at 2B, otherwise they wouldn't be asking their 3B to slide over with 4 weeks left in the season. 

How about just say nothing and occasionally play 2B so the team isn't continuing to feed PAs to Julien and/or Farmer for the last month.

Lol yep, 8 innings is "some," but it's 8 innings. Like I said, we never saw him there again after the public comments. Are we supposed to believe Rocco not penciling him after those comments is coincidental? Idk how much time Lewis put in at 2B in the offseason, nor do I really care, because the 2B ship had sailed at that point.

This is such a weird comment. Kepler's desire to play only RF wasn't a secret. I think his unwillingness to cover CF was selfish and hurt the team at times. I don't ever recall myself, or others, being told that being critical of that decision was akin to holding a grudge. I think if another player, one who wasn't sold to fans as a superstar face of the franchise, was making similar comments the reaction would be far less gentle. 

OK, I never pick on anybody and I seldom call anyone out. It's not my nature. And I'm not doing that now with you either, just to be clear.

But Royce Lewis is guilty of only 2 things to this point.

1] Having immense talent but has been cursed with 2 major knee surgeries and subsequent soft tissue injuries that he's been trying to fix. NOT his fault.

2] He wears his heart on his sleeve and when asked a question, he doesn't always think things through  and just says what he's feeling in the moment.

Once again, the topic of playing 2B he commented he didn't like the idea of playing it mid season for fear of blowing a crucial play. I don't recall his comment about the team having enough players to cover 2B, but I'm accepting that as something I just don't recall. But was he supposed to say "we have poor players there, so I'll try to be better than them"?

What kind of teammate would that make him?

Should he have said I don't want to move there mid season because I'm afraid of making a bad play that can cost the team, but I'll do my best? Yes. That little extra might have made a difference. 

Honestly, I'd love to find the while quote because maybe he did say something close to that, I just don't recall the entire conversation. 

But he DID go out and play some 2B. And I don't recall Rocco, or anyone else, ever saying ANYTHING regarding a poor attitude or a refusal to go out there and do it. And last I checked, Rocco makes out the lineup.

How hard or how long did Royce work out at 2B this past offseason? Does it matter? HE never said to stop doing so. The Twins made the decision to stop the experiment at 2B shortly before ST. And IIRC, I read a quote from Lewis in the offseason stating something to the affect that he was working at both spots to get ready for wherever he was needed. 

Yeah, sounds like a primadona to me. (Sarcasm note, not directed to anyone)

I've NEVER heard even a whisper from Rocco, the coaching staff, players on the team, or the FO negative about Lewis directly. Correa's abstract comment after last seasons disappointment was directed towards younger players. That could include a rather large collection. He NEVER singled out anyone.

It's OK if we as fans are disappointed that the STUD we hoped and thought Lewis might be has caused disappointment and frustration. He's certainly tantalized like a superhero at times the past couple of seasons. But maybe he's just not really Superman. Maybe he's really Batman. (And I'm a Marvel guy, LOL). But Batman is still really good, and a potential All Star here and there.

But until I actually hear something from elsewhere that Royce is lazy, Royce is a "me first" player, Royce is a poor teammate, I'm going to accept him as a super talented player who STILL has a nice career ahead of him if he can stay healthy. As to the rest? I'd love a veteran in the clubhouse who could locker next to him and just put a hand over his mouth once In a while and whisper in his ear; "pause before you answer, because they're just looking for a quote". And that's about the only thing he's guilty of at this point. 

 

[DocBauer]

40 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

For 1 game Doc. What would you say if Kody Clemens publicly said he doesn't want to blow a game playing 2B for the team? Or Brooks Lee. Hell, even Ryan Fitzgerald. You'd hope they are a team player right? 

Absolutely! I'd tell them to get out there and just do the best they can and we'll see what happens.

But by your own admission of Lewis going out there, where is the argument? Are we truly saying Rocco had so little power that Lewis had an unreported fit? 

Or are we just frustrated that a potential difference maker for our team is human, and fighting a whole bunch of injury crap, and once in a while says something in the moment that Crash Davis would have smacked him for?

[Vanimal46]

9 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

Absolutely! I'd tell them to get out there and just do the best they can and we'll see what happens.

But by your own admission of Lewis going out there, where is the argument? Are we truly saying Rocco had so little power that Lewis had an unreported fit? 

Or are we just frustrated that a potential difference maker for our team is human, and fighting a whole bunch of injury crap, and once in a while says something in the moment that Crash Davis would have smacked him for?

How did you type your first sentence, then the 2nd sentence? And not make the connection? That is literally the argument. He refused to play 2B after 1 game then went on record about that experience. He's young and inexperienced enough to contribute wherever the opportunity is on the field. 

[DocBauer]

38 minutes ago, KirbyDome89 said:

This is such a juvenile argument. Being critical of Royce's decision not to play 2B isn't "hating," on him. 

I'm sorry, but "juvenile"??

It's OK if you want to criticize Lewis for his production post 2 knee surgeries and a slew of soft tissue injuries since then that has have robbed him and the Twins for production we're still dreaming of. (Not in his control).

And it's OK to criticize his heart on the sleeve comments when he's frustrated and maybe should keep his mouth closed or be more calm, collected before he speaks at times. 

But his comments about playing 2B, once again were probably not the BEST he could have said. But was he wrong to not throw his teammates under the bus? Was he wrong to say he was worried about making a poor play being thrown in to a position he wasn't used to and would rather have an offseason to learn the position? 

Yes, he probably should have added, "I'll do the best I can". Or did he say that? I can't recall exactly. 

But then what did he do this past offseason? He spent time at 2B to prepare for 2025 and then the Twins said forget about it.

This is the reality. And I STRONGLY object to anything I've stated as "juvenile"!

[DocBauer]

15 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

How did you type your first sentence, then the 2nd sentence? And not make the connection? That is literally the argument. He refused to play 2B after 1 game then went on record about that experience. He's young and inexperienced enough to contribute wherever the opportunity is on the field. 

If Lewis hits .270 next season with 34 Dbls and 25 HR this all goes away.

And that's what frustrates me the most.

But I really don't understand this post, Van. Where did Lewis EVER REFUSE to play 2B again? 

In September 2024, Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis publicly expressed his resistance to moving to second base, calling the prospect "terrifying". He explained that changing positions mid-season, especially during a playoff push, was too disruptive for him and created a defensive risk for the team. 

 

Reasons for Lewis's reluctance

• Mental adjustment: As Lewis put it, "The moment you have to think in this game is when the game speeds up on you". All-Star caliber players rely on muscle memory for defensive reactions. Moving to a new infield position requires re-establishing that muscle memory, which is a difficult adjustment to make on the fly during a pennant race.
• Defensive concerns: Lewis stated, "I don't want to mess up our defense just because we're going to try something new". He felt the team had other talented second basemen who were more prepared to handle the position.
• Troubling injury history: Lewis has a long history of lower-body injuries, including two torn ACLs and multiple hamstring and quad strains. His 2022 ACL tear occurred while he was playing center field, another position he was trying out for the first time in the majors. This history of injury during positional changes likely contributed to his cautious attitude. 

 

Team's perspective and resolution

The Twins were looking for more lineup flexibility to field their best offensive players and create defensive alignments. Moving Lewis to second base would allow Brooks Lee to play third, his natural position. 

Despite Lewis's initial hesitation, the situation evolved:

• Late 2024: Lewis did make his first career starts at second base during September 2024, signaling a willingness to at least try the position.
• Offseason 2024-2025: Lewis's attitude changed considerably. According to Twins manager Rocco Baldelli, Lewis began taking practice at second base over the offseason, telling the manager he was doing so "just in case" the team needed him there. This was seen as a sign of his growing maturity and open-mindedness to a potential future transition. 

[KirbyDome89]

56 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

OK, I never pick on anybody and I seldom call anyone out. It's not my nature. And I'm not doing that now with you either, just to be clear.

But Royce Lewis is guilty of only 2 things to this point.

1] Having immense talent but has been cursed with 2 major knee surgeries and subsequent soft tissue injuries that he's been trying to fix. NOT his fault.

2] He wears his heart on his sleeve and when asked a question, he doesn't always think things through  and just says what he's feeling in the moment.

Once again, the topic of playing 2B he commented he didn't like the idea of playing it mid season for fear of blowing a crucial play. I don't recall his comment about the team having enough players to cover 2B, but I'm accepting that as something I just don't recall. But was he supposed to say "we have poor players there, so I'll try to be better than them"?

What kind of teammate would that make him?

Should he have said I don't want to move there mid season because I'm afraid of making a bad play that can cost the team, but I'll do my best? Yes. That little extra might have made a difference. 

Honestly, I'd love to find the while quote because maybe he did say something close to that, I just don't recall the entire conversation. 

But he DID go out and play some 2B. And I don't recall Rocco, or anyone else, ever saying ANYTHING regarding a poor attitude or a refusal to go out there and do it. And last I checked, Rocco makes out the lineup.

How hard or how long did Royce work out at 2B this past offseason? Does it matter? HE never said to stop doing so. The Twins made the decision to stop the experiment at 2B shortly before ST. And IIRC, I read a quote from Lewis in the offseason stating something to the affect that he was working at both spots to get ready for wherever he was needed. 

Yeah, sounds like a primadona to me. (Sarcasm note, not directed to anyone)

I've NEVER heard even a whisper from Rocco, the coaching staff, players on the team, or the FO negative about Lewis directly. Correa's abstract comment after last seasons disappointment was directed towards younger players. That could include a rather large collection. He NEVER singled out anyone.

It's OK if we as fans are disappointed that the STUD we hoped and thought Lewis might be has caused disappointment and frustration. He's certainly tantalized like a superhero at times the past couple of seasons. But maybe he's just not really Superman. Maybe he's really Batman. (And I'm a Marvel guy, LOL). But Batman is still really good, and a potential All Star here and there.

But until I actually hear something from elsewhere that Royce is lazy, Royce is a "me first" player, Royce is a poor teammate, I'm going to accept him as a super talented player who STILL has a nice career ahead of him if he can stay healthy. As to the rest? I'd love a veteran in the clubhouse who could locker next to him and just put a hand over his mouth once In a while and whisper in his ear; "pause before you answer, because they're just looking for a quote". And that's about the only thing he's guilty of at this point. 

 

Nobody in this thread is blaming Lewis for the injuries, and I even said I can appreciate his candor even if I don't agree with what he has to say. 

That said, Royce playing 2B was not a conversion, he was not being asked to make a career altering position swap, and the Twins didn't ask him to slide over at mid season. The team was spiraling in September, and in a last ditch effort to put their best bats in the lineup for the remainder of the season they asked Royce to occasionally play 2B for a few weeks. 

Again, say nothing, play 2B, or choose not to play 2B and own the decision. Royce chose to drag his teammates into discussion to provide cover for himself. Baldelli doesn't need to be the scapegoat here. There's zero chance he was excited to plug Julien or Farmer in at 2B. I'm surprised how terrible that 2B duo was is seemingly being lost in the discussion. 

His offseason work at 2B is entirely irrelevant. The team didn't need (or likely want) him to play there in 2025. They needed him, out of desperation, to be there semi-regularly for a few weeks in 2024 and he passed. 

Yeah, we both know that direct public admonishment from management and/or teammates is incredibly rare. I highly doubt things are at that point with Royce, but if that's the bar to clear then he'll likely forever remain an angel in your eyes. 

He can still be a super talented player with a nice career ahead of him, and make comments or decisions that come across as self serving. Those things aren't mutually exclusive. 

[KirbyDome89]

33 minutes ago, DocBauer said:

I'm sorry, but "juvenile"??

It's OK if you want to criticize Lewis for his production post 2 knee surgeries and a slew of soft tissue injuries since then that has have robbed him and the Twins for production we're still dreaming of. (Not in his control).

And it's OK to criticize his heart on the sleeve comments when he's frustrated and maybe should keep his mouth closed or be more calm, collected before he speaks at times. 

But his comments about playing 2B, once again were probably not the BEST he could have said. But was he wrong to not throw his teammates under the bus? Was he wrong to say he was worried about making a poor play being thrown in to a position he wasn't used to and would rather have an offseason to learn the position? 

Yes, he probably should have added, "I'll do the best I can". Or did he say that? I can't recall exactly. 

But then what did he do this past offseason? He spent time at 2B to prepare for 2025 and then the Twins said forget about it.

This is the reality. And I STRONGLY object to anything I've stated as "juvenile"!

You need to stop characterizing the "plenty of really good 2B," quote as Lewis somehow sticking up for his teammates. He wasn't rushing to defend the subpar play of Julien or Farmer, he was using their 2B status as a shield for his own desire to not play that position. 

Yeah, I think it's juvenile to equate criticism for refusing to play 2B with some kind of vendetta against the guy. 

[tony&rodney]

Wow, plenty of comments about a guy hitting .237 with a .680 OPS and just 0.9 WAR for the season. While it would be marvelous if Lewis managed to become a halfway decent baseball player, the Twins need to see if any other MLB clubs have any infatuation with Royce. The Twins don't exactly have a fantastic infield but Lewis is the weak link right now. 

[LakesPibble]

If Royce was an 8th round pick, no one would care.  The league is full of players who burn brightly for a season and fade away.  I think that's what he is.  He may be a slightly above average player but I don't think he is what we all thought 2 years ago.

[USAFChief]

15 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Wow, plenty of comments about a guy hitting .237 with a .680 OPS and just 0.9 WAR for the season. While it would be marvelous if Lewis managed to become a halfway decent baseball player, the Twins need to see if any other MLB clubs have any infatuation with Royce. The Twins don't exactly have a fantastic infield but Lewis is the weak link right now. 

Selling low on Lewis would be incredibly stupid.

So I wouldn't put it past Falvey. 

[tony&rodney]

8 minutes ago, USAFChief said:

Selling low on Lewis would be incredibly stupid.

So I wouldn't put it past Falvey. 

I'm open to all ideas. Also, we really don't have any clue how Royce Lewis was or is now viewed by other teams. It makes sense that there would have been more interest after the 2023 season in Royce, but I'm not sure how other teams have changed their thinking.

My only thought is that the Twins should explore all options towards improving the team and make an honest effort at completing several trades as well as making other transactions.

I was done with Falvey years ago but I'm still a Twins fan and am forced to live with his decisions.

Edit to add, I'm not sure what you disagree with in my previous comment. I didn't trash Lewis or give up on him. I only looked at the current reality. I'm still hopeful for him.