Royce Lewis Is At A Crossroads. Which Path Will He Take?

[Eric Blonigen]

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

Royce Lewis is one of the most pivotal players of the current core. He’s also, unfortunately, one of the most difficult players to predict. This is true for his play on the field, and for his overall mindset and how he shows up to the media through his comments. He’s capable of being a team leader, an offensive force, and a building block for the next several years. But, it’s also possible that Lewis’ tenure with the Twins could be winding down. How did we get here, and is it possible that frustration has led to his sharp decline?

As Lewis was coming up through the minors, he was known for being a consummate professional and for being profoundly positive. This showed up through his comments after suffering his second torn ACL in as many years, when he told Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com: “I learned that every time I get put down, I come back stronger. So, why would I not bet on myself? … I don't think there's anything that can really stop me, to be honest.” Fans saw it through his infectious grins in postgame interviews after hitting yet another grand slam. The Twins saw it through his ability to carry the team on his back and to change the outcome of games — over and over again. He was joy incarnate.

Then, sometime around August of 2024 (you know, right around the time the Twins began their epic collapse down the stretch to miss the playoffs after having better than 90% odds to make them), something changed. This change showed up in the box scores, in his comments, and in his demeanor. All of a sudden, it appeared that Lewis was no longer having a good time. He admitted as much during a slump this season, telling Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic “I'm tired of being the one who's being bullied and picked on by this game. Whether it wants me to suffer on the offensive side or when I'm going hot, it just wants to kick me out with an injury. Seems like it's picking on me at this moment, so I'm waiting for one of my friends to pick me up and stop this bully.” This is a moment of self-reflection, where it was clear that he was feeling a certain way about his travails at the plate, and about his health.

Of course, Lewis has also made a number of comments that look outwards rather than introspect. Over the span of roughly a year, Lewis has made not-so-subtle digs at established veterans on the team, telling Bobby Nightingale of the Star Tribune during a rough patch of play, "It kind of falls on, obviously, the players. But I didn't realize it was just on us. Now I know that we're going to carry a lot of the load, especially the young guys - the cheap guys is the best way to put it". This was shortly after Carlos Correa made comments about younger players needing to put in the work to perform. There are hints that there was some ongoing friction between the two.

Of his struggles at the plate, Lewis griped about the MLB arbitration system, telling Dan Hayes, "It's also hard to make a full in-season adjustment because you can try that, and those 30 games or at-bats of trial go toward your stats. Do you really want to sacrifice that?” He added, “Being under contract probably helps because he knows what he's making that year and the year after. For someone like me, I'm fighting (to take] care of myself and my family. I don't want to put any of those stats in jeopardy." Of course, this also reflects a communication gap between Lewis and the coaching staff.

He further hinted at frustration with the coaching staff when he told Dan Hayes "I've become more results-oriented because of how we run things here. I’ve prided myself on understanding that (good process is) OK. But this year it seems like if I don't - or anybody in general - (they're) quick to pull the trigger on you. I'm trying to do my best to get some balls to fall, and when that doesn't happen, you're just like SOL.”

In any light, these comments aren’t great. Worse, while he was saying those things, dating back to August 13th of 2024, Lewis has a .619 OPS, good for a wRC+ of just 71, or nearly 30% worse than an average hitter. Some of this was just plain bad luck; he had long stretches where he was BABIP’d, similar to what fans saw from Griffin Jax when things weren’t going quite right. But, beyond that, he just looked lost, and frustrated.

Okay. So, putting all this together, he was frustrated with Baldelli, who is now gone. Remember that frustration with Matt Borgshulte’s coaching approach? He’s also gone. The highly paid veteran who wasn’t performing to his contract value but calling out the young guys? Now playing in Houston, and doing a bit better. The arbitration system hasn’t changed, but hey, there will be a new CBA in just over a year (if we are lucky). Anything is possible.

Now, it’s entirely possible that Lewis was projecting some frustration he feels about his contributions and inability to rediscover the hitter he was for his first full season or so towards others around him. That would be a very human thing to do. Anyone with his promise, and skill should be immensely frustrated after seven IL stints in four seasons limit them to just 132 career games. Who wouldn’t be annoyed when they feel like no matter what they try at the plate, nothing works? When a budding superstar identifies that they may not be on that path any longer, a certain amount of irritation should be a given.

And to his credit, down the stretch in the 2025 season, as he was hitting a bit better and running with abandon on the bases, he seemed more like himself — the high-energy, bubbly, charismatic presence we all saw in the beginning. This hints that just maybe, if Lewis can find a stretch of success at the plate and feel set up for success and valued at the same time, it could be a game changer for him.

So, is this in the cards? Well, maybe. Fast forward a bit, and Dan Hayes reported that Lewis was blown away by Derek Shelton’s approach in his brief time in role. Lewis said: “We started off building a really good relationship. He told me I was important to him and our organization. I told him at points last year I didn’t feel like that. It was really important to me to feel that kind of confidence. I told him that part of me is a little bit of a wide receiver mentality, to where I need to be talked to and just told what’s going on, what the plan is for myself, for the organization, and to be involved just a little bit.”.

That’s a start. Maybe, possibly, some of these changes in personnel will be exactly what Lewis needs to be the best version of himself. Perhaps feeling more connected to his manager will help him minimize emotion-based slumps. Maybe having strategy and approach explained in a slightly different way will connect with him, and he will feel more comfortable making tweaks and trusting they will work for him. Hopefully, we will all see a return to form in 2026, and Lewis will be a happy warrior at the plate, hitting endless grand slams, and carrying the offense for stretches of time. If so, the upcoming season just might have some real promise. On the other hand, unfortunately, if these things don’t cause a shift, or if that shift doesn’t sustain…well, then, his time as a part of this core is likely coming to an end as the next wave of top prospects approaches the majors. It seems that Lewis is aware of this as well.

Hopefully 2026 brings Royce Lewis joy, and a return to the path he was on just 15 months ago.

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[The Mad King]

Interesting you bring up the 8/13/24 date and his stats. I hate to be the guy who brings this up, but it was 8/2/24 that he made his "ice cream" comment about the drug testing. I'm not saying he was using, but it's quite a coincidence... Isn't it?

[Doctor Gast]

Lewis went through a lot of personal trials with his injuries early in his career. As was said, he was very positive during this time because of his faith. Fans & media gave him a break. In the 2nd half of '23, he was healthy and was a major force, crescendoing through a successful team postseason. 

He hadn't put in a long season for a while, so in a healthier & longer '24 season, as he said, he ran out of gas. The media approached him & questioned him about his going through a slump. He said he doesn't do slumps. Mistaking his confidence for arrogance, the media had a field day with it. IMO, this was the start of the messing with his head. Along with bouts with Baldelli & taking what Correa said personally, started his slipping. He hates slumps, so he listened to everybody, which goofed him up more. Also, he was frustrated with not getting the help he wanted from the coaches. 

IMO. He was getting straightened out towards the end of the season. Also, I believe many of the problems have been resolved & Shelton going out of his way to initiate a conversation with him will go a long way. Whether Lewis is at a crossroad, IDK, but IMO Lewis is on his way back.

[IndianaTwin]

The best recent stat in my mind is playing 64 out of 66 games after the All-Star Break. If he has that kind of health in 2026, the results will be there. 

[bean5302]

No player I've seen has made a bigger impact on my view of the team than Royce Lewis. What he was doing in 2023 was remarkable. It didn't matter what pitch was being thrown or where it was being placed. He was absolutely locked in. Through years of injuries, he kept his optimism and the kind of infectious charisma which could make him one of the greatest and most beloved players in the game.

It's also pretty clear the front office, management and coaches on this team lost his buy in. The comments about the quick hooks, is that about him or just what he's seen? Wallner, Julien, Miranda, Martin, all had pretty short leashes, even if the leash was deserved from a fan perspective. Meanwhile, veteran players like Vazquez and Margot seeminly had infinite leashes despite being terrible. 

Lewis was told he was the SS, instead the Twins brought back Correa and moved Lewis off even backup SS duties in favor of Lee. Another short leash. 

Who is responsible for the players not believing the organization has their best interest? Oh, and make no mistake, if Lewis is openingly speaking about all these issues, there are another dozen players who feel exactly the same way but don't want to endure the backlash. Falvey has a long history of alienating his best young players. Is anybody surprised Lewis has followed the same path?

In any case, Lewis is definitely at a crossroads. He needs to regain his mojo, refocus, and take accountability for his poor play. He's certainly not going to improve by blaming others, and results grant opinions value. If he doesn't trust the organization, ask for a trade or find the help he needs independently outside the organization. The raw power is still there, his fielding is improved, his heath is improved and he's got a full offseason to see if he can regain his explosiveness and speed.

Next year will likely determine whether or not Lewis becomes a full fledged star or yet another in a long line of failed young can't-miss prospect tied to the Twins organization.

[Nashvilletwin]

Just give him 3B at a minimum thru the All Star break.  

[Blyleven2011]

21 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

Lewis went through a lot of personal trials with his injuries early in his career. As was said, he was very positive during this time because of his faith. Fans & media gave him a break. In the 2nd half of '23, he was healthy and was a major force, crescendoing through a successful team postseason. 

He hadn't put in a long season for a while, so in a healthier & longer '24 season, as he said, he ran out of gas. The media approached him & questioned him about his going through a slump. He said he doesn't do slumps. Mistaking his confidence for arrogance, the media had a field day with it. IMO, this was the start of the messing with his head. Along with bouts with Baldelli & taking what Correa said personally, started his slipping. He hates slumps, so he listened to everybody, which goofed him up more. Also, he was frustrated with not getting the help he wanted from the coaches. 

IMO. He was getting straightened out towards the end of the season. Also, I believe many of the problems have been resolved & Shelton going out of his way to initiate a conversation with him will go a long way. Whether Lewis is at a crossroad, IDK, but IMO Lewis is on his way back.

I too agree that Lewis is on his way back , after the deadline trades his game got better , not great but he was working in the right direction on improving his game ...

As mentioned in the article , coaches are gone and a few players were traded , will this lead to a more happier environment for royce , royce possibly could have had animosity towards the coaches and a player or two ( we'll never know for sure ) and if it did i can see his frustration  , but he should have continued to play his game for a better payday in arbitration , he shouldn't have let it get to him for the love of the game and play his game that he is capable of , something wasn't clicking for him but this offseason he could get back that optimism ( positive attitude ) and everything will click for 2026 ...

We as fans showed alot of frustration towards Rocco and the coaching , I personally would never have liked playing for this organization and their philosophy , ( now back in my day i would have loved playing with killer , tony O and carew , and even for Mr cheap Calvin Griffin ) because it was baseball at its purist form ...

I've stated many times since 2021 that there has been players that are not happy playing for this organization ...

Im to old to play so I watch , let's hope and I'm not worried about Lewis because I believe better days are ahead for royce , it should only reflect a positive atmosphere that manager and coaches have been changed ...

[Fatbat]

He and Buck will be the catalyst’s of a great lineup.  Health will bring alot off success!!! Lewis is primed for a great ‘26!!

[Richie the Rally Goat]

Robert Frost? Or Robert Johnson?

Is it bad that I hope for Johnson?

[bean5302]

5 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

He and Buck will be the catalyst’s of a great lineup.  Health will bring alot off success!!! Lewis is primed for a great ‘26!!

I think Buxton is going to have to show some enormous leadership this offseason (provided he's still here). It's on him to get these young guys back on board.

Buck's been there. He's been told to hit a certain way, change his approach to methods which didn't feel good and didn't work, feeling undervalued by the front office, having his service time manipulated, potentially losing the appearance of being the face of the franchise to a new guy, fighting through endless injuries, watching the game evolve, etc.

As an All Star and one of the most respected players in the game who has seen it all, he has the background and experience to get the young guys on board. I'm not sure he has the personality built for it because we don't see inside the locker room. But his biggest contribution to the team's success might well come off the field this year.

[Pat]

Once you turn baseball into a head game, it will eat you up.

[sweetmusicviola16]

I have great confidence in Lewis. We need to stay with him. I do know that he is a game changer, not many guys you can say that about, but he is one. Will he once again be the player he was in 2023? I don't know, no one does for sure. But we need to see this through all of the way. What is apparent is that Lewis is another example of the destructiveness of our front office on display. 

[ashbury]

In a Wallner thread I mentioned him as the player I have greatest hopes for improvement under some new coaches.  I forgot, though, that Lewis is right up there too.  Just clearing up a little thing here or there in their approach at the plate, which I am the opposite of qualified to specifically name, could make a whale of a difference.

[DocBauer]

I don't excuse Lewis for growing frustrated and opening his mouth too quickly and too wide to say a couple of things he's said. But I DO excuse him for growing frustrated. That kid has been through a LOT.

Unless I missed it...I confess to sorta skimming the OP...what WASN'T mentioned was earlier in 2025 he opened up and admitted the 2 knee injuries, and the changes in his body, and all the soft tissue injuries had affected his stance/approach/swing at the plate and he was trying to find a comfort zone that just wasn't there.

A further reminder, he worked in the last offseason with a personal trainer that he likes and trusts to work on flexibility to try and avoid all those soft tissue injuries that have held him back. While that didn't allow him to get out of ST without being hurt again, and he appeared to have been rushed back with how awkward he looked on his return, and he never really looked like the "old" Lewis, he was still about a league average or slightly above from about mid June on. He also remained healthy the rest of the season and played the most games if his career.

My hope is that that is an indication he's already started to turn a corner, and that with an additional offseason of hard work, we're going to see the STILL ONLY 26yo Lewis play in even more games, but also start to produce the way we've seen, and hope for. Or at least much closer to what we've seen and hoped for.

He's still young and still talented. (I didn't even mention he suddenly began running again, and successfully). There's a new Sheriff in town, and a new primary batting coach. So there are some changes that may assist in a more positive approach for him, and potentially others as well.

As @ashburypointed out, it's not only Lewis that needs a more positive 2026, but also Wallner returning to previous form. Perhaps Lee takes a step forward as well?

But regarding Lewis directly...since he's the target of the OP...I think the turnaround began last season. I'm crossing my fingers the upward trajectory continues. I have a lot of hope it's going to do so.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

6 hours ago, Pat said:

Once you turn baseball into a head game, it will eat you up.

Batters fail 7 times out of 10. Pitchers fail just as often. Defenders are never supposed o make an error. It is the nature of the game. It is the nature of the beast. One's definition of "failure" and how one deals with it, are two keys of being a successful baseball player.

[Riverbrian]

.283 is too low of an OBP and .388 is too low of a Slug. 

Whatever it takes to fix that... he's going to want that fixed. He is going to lose significant money if he doesn't fix that... So... Adjust... Don't adjust... listen to your coaches... listen to nobody. Whatever it takes. 

In the meantime... .283 OBP is too low and .388 slug is too low. If I was the GM... I would be doing everything I can to bring in a player or players who are stronger than Ryan Fitzgerald for Royce to compete with for playing time.  

I would not be handing him the keys for 162 games and whatever happens happens... just letting him take us down if he is going to .671 himself down the road. 

I'm hedging my bet.  

In 2025. Royce had:

.805 OPS in games that the Twins won. 

.563 OPS in games that the Twins lost. 

Take that split for what it's worth. Lots of players have splits that look like that because players plural not hitting the ball tends to lead to the reason you lost. 

I'm just saying that it's quite possible that Royce helped us lose more games than he helped us win games in 2025 and he needs to fix that and he fixes it with his bat. He had about 200 AB's where he played every day and hit worse than anybody in BASEBALL including Vazquez. 

So adjust... don't adjust... as long as the Twins have the talent on hand to adjust to whatever Royce is.  

 

 

 

 

[Whitey333]

Yes 2026 will be huge for Royce Lewis.  The good thing is the team doesn't look to be competitive.  Maybe this will take some pressure off him and relax him more.  I sure hope so.

[thelanges5]

Royce told the world what he needs. Shelton made a great impression by flying to TX to hang. Keep him at 3rd, stop batting him 7th, and I think he’ll settle in as a 110-120 OPS+ guy. 

[NYCTK]

41 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

Royce told the world what he needs. Shelton made a great impression by flying to TX to hang. Keep him at 3rd, stop batting him 7th, and I think he’ll settle in as a 110-120 OPS+ guy. 

Why should the 630 OPS guy get promoted out of the bottom of the lineup? Because you suspect he's an egotistical headcase that needs to handled like a delicate flower? 

I'm at the point where I want the Twins to trade him. Not because I think he's going to bring much back in value, but because I'm fully out on him as a fan and I would rather he not be on the team I support. 

Complaining about being asked to play 2B and then complaining how exhausted he was at the end of the 2024 season buried him in my mind. I just can't pretend as if this is someone I actually care to do well. Him sucking the last season and a half has offered quite a bit of Schadenfreude in fact. 

If he wants to help my baseball team win baseball games, that'd be great, but I'm not holding out any more hope for the guy and I won't really be cheering for the guy either. 

[Trov]

I just wanted to comment on how Gleeman phrased the quotes of Lewis talking about stats over the team.  A couple of things, as was pointed out by Lewis the coaches seemed pretty in line with stats, and would not let guys work through things or grow if they were struggling at times.  Not just Lewis.  Additionally, he may have not said it well, but making in season adjustments can cause even more of a struggle, if it is a full overhaul of things.  Hitting in baseball is built on thousands of swings of muscle memory and it is not that easy to just change it quickly.

Could he have said things differently sure, but what had change from the next big thing as it relates to his swing? Did pitchers just adjust?  Did the coaches try to make tweaks that worked against him.  Did the possible culture of the coaching staff affect him mentally, which baseball is a huge mental game.

[chpettit19]

I think Lewis described himself well with the quote about having a bit of a wide receiver's attitude. He's turned into quite the diva. I've defended him and his comments a lot on these boards. He never said he didn't slump, he said he didn't do the slump mentality. He never refused to play 2B, he just said he wasn't as comfortable there so would prefer not to.

But it's all piling up too much. The comments about not being willing to make adjustments in season because it'll cost him in arbitration are probably thoughts lots of players have, but when you're OPSing in the .630 range and your team is failing because you were supposed to be an important part of the offense and are completely failing it comes across horribly. Complaining about feeling like you aren't important when you're given every opportunity and are unquestionably not a young guy on a short leash comes across as being completely out of touch with the situation.

I don't know what the conversations behind closed doors were like. I don't know what lead him to feel like he wasn't important. But based on the playing time he was given compared to his performance it doesn't look good from the outside. I hope he does well, and I still think he has incredible talent. But his comments have painted him in a different light for me. Rocco went and met him in person last offseason, too. Lewis had nice things to say about that meeting as well. Is he going to pout if he struggles for a month and Shelton lowers his playing time in favor of someone else? 

He's been through a lot. He handled his injuries as well as anyone could ask. I always say there's no reason to be honest with the media/fans because there's very little good that can come of it. This is an example. He's coming across more and more as an incredibly selfish diva. Every pro athlete has an ego to some extent. Much of coaching/managing at the professional level in any sport is managing those egos. Lewis has great talent, but he hasn't earned this diva attitude. This is a put up or shut up year for him. I'm quite surprised Boras hasn't told him, or at least not convinced him, to just shut up and play at this point.

[jmlease1]

I think Royce just went through a run where his immense physical talent no longer was enough to pull him out of his struggles. We'll see whether he's able to keep working on his craft, make adjustments, overcome any physical limitations he might now have and get back on track. It's hard to believe that he'll continue to be so poor at the plate, but it does happen. It was somewhat encouraging to see him play well in the field and not carry those struggles at the plate with him; he's more than solid at 3B defensively, which is a start at least.

I do have a real problem with his comments about having to become more results oriented because of how supposedly quickly they "pull the trigger on you" if you're not performing, etc. Because outside of moving down in the batting order, Royce played whenever he was healthy. They didn't yank him after he hung a sombrero, they didn't bench him when he was mired in a rotten streak where he was striking out, chasing everything, and making weak or no contact. He kept playing basically any day he was healthy enough to go in the lineup and never came close to losing his starting job, despite playing like a bench guy.

If your attitude is "eff these guys" and "they turned on me" when you stink and they started having you hit 7th, then I'm a little concerned about where his head is at. Much as I love the joy Royce can bring to the game, if he thinks it's someone else's fault for how poorly he's performed at the plate over the last 18 months, then I'm worried about his ability to pull himself out it.

We'll see. I'm rooting for him. A return to form would make a real difference in this lineup. Hope his head is on straight and he stays healthy.

[RpR]

7 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

I think Royce just went through a run where his immense physical talent no longer was enough to pull him out of his struggles. We'll see whether he's able to keep working on his craft, make adjustments, overcome any physical limitations he might now have and get back on track. It's hard to believe that he'll continue to be so poor at the plate, but it does happen. It was somewhat encouraging to see him play well in the field and not carry those struggles at the plate with him; he's more than solid at 3B defensively, which is a start at least.

I do have a real problem with his comments about having to become more results oriented because of how supposedly quickly they "pull the trigger on you" if you're not performing, etc. Because outside of moving down in the batting order, Royce played whenever he was healthy. They didn't yank him after he hung a sombrero, they didn't bench him when he was mired in a rotten streak where he was striking out, chasing everything, and making weak or no contact. He kept playing basically any day he was healthy enough to go in the lineup and never came close to losing his starting job, despite playing like a bench guy.

If your attitude is "eff these guys" and "they turned on me" when you stink and they started having you hit 7th, then I'm a little concerned about where his head is at. Much as I love the joy Royce can bring to the game, if he thinks it's someone else's fault for how poorly he's performed at the plate over the last 18 months, then I'm worried about his ability to pull himself out it.

We'll see. I'm rooting for him. A return to form would make a real difference in this lineup. Hope his head is on straight and he stays healthy.

It is amazing here when players annointed by opinion on TD, end up having a hard time even being average, it is ALWAYS some one elses fault.

Natural born talent or a LACK of it , at Major League level, must be an imaginary thing.

[Doc Lenz]

Now that we will have Lewis and Martin on the team for a full year we will be able to laugh. Thumbs up to Falvey for getting one of the greatest comedy teams ever here.

[tony&rodney]

Royce Lewis has a big pile of fans on Twins Daily. He hit some grand slams in 2023 that folks remember. Julien doesn't have any fans on Twins Daily for whatever reasons, the errors or called strike three PA. It's a strange dynamic.

Guess we can hope for a miracle.