Minnesota Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Third Base

[Nick Nelson]

Image courtesy of Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It feels hard to believe now, but it's true: the Opening Day starter at third base for the Minnesota Twins last year was José Miranda. His last hurrah didn't last long; Miranda was demoted to the minors in mid-April with a .417 OPS and did not return. He moved on during the offseason, landing with the Padres, and now the layer of third-base depth that Miranda provided — however tenuous — is gone, along with the rest of their in-house backups from last year, leaving a lot of pressure on Royce Lewis to stay healthy and produce. 

What could go wrong?

TWINS THIRD BASEMEN AT A GLANCE

Starter: Royce Lewis
Backup: Kody Clemens
Depth: Eric Wagaman, Gio Urshela, Tristan Gray
Prospects: Quentin Young, Brandon Winokur, Billy Amick

Twins fWAR Ranking Last Year: 20th out of 30
Twins fWAR Projection This Year: 14th out of 30

THE GOOD
We all know what Lewis is capable of. He's done it in the regular season, the playoffs. He's doing it again this spring — it took him exactly one at-bat to remind us of his awesome power. 

 

Now that's the guy we remember. The first overall draft pick, top prospect and rookie phenom. The unstoppable force who took the league by storm and lifted the franchise out of its postseason malaise. Even with his struggles over the past couple years, he has a very respectable .255/.310/.453 career slash line and 109 OPS+ at age 26.

Of course, those good-not-great numbers are split down the middle, blending Lewis' otherworldly production in 2022-23 (148 OPS+ in 70 games) with his sub-par performance over a much larger sample in 2024-25 (93 OPS+ in 188 games). He doesn't need to get quite back to the level of his early peak — that may not even be possible, given the cumulative toll of his injuries — but the Twins need something far closer than what we saw in 2025. And it's more than possible!

Believing in a Lewis resurgence is more than just wishcasting. He's still relatively young, his natural talent is obvious, and he ended last year looking as healthy and spry as we've seen him in a long time. Lewis graded out better defensively than ever before, and made some legitimately dazzling plays down the stretch. He stole nine bases on 10 attempts in September, and has been running early this spring, as if to make a statement about how good his legs feel.

The missing piece is his bat, with Lewis acknowledging that his swing has long felt broken and out of whack. He spent the offseason working with a personal hitting coach, and early signs have been positive. 

 

THE BAD
Aside from Lewis, these are the players who made starts at third base for the Twins last year: Brooks Lee (32), Jonah Bride (16), Willi Castro (9), Miranda (9), Ryan Fitzgerald (4). Lee is now the starting shortstop and everyone else is no longer in the organization. 

While Lewis' run of good health in the second half last year was encouraging, the injury stormcloud isn't going to stop looming over him for a while, especially given that he already had an early scare this spring. Fortunately, the side discomfort that scratched him from the lineup last Thursday came up clean on an MRI, and Lewis was back in the lineup batting leadoff on Tuesday, but it was a stark reminder that contingency plans behind him matter.

I found myself asking: if a more serious injury struck and Lewis were sidelined for a prolonged period, who would step in as the regular third baseman? I guess as of now it's Gio Urshela, who joined the Twins on a minor-league deal in early February. He offers a lot of MLB experience at third and an okay glove, but little else. Urshela hasn't hit at all for multiple years and he's legitimately one of the slowest players in the major leagues. But I also think a long-term injury to Lewis is the only thing that gets Urshela on the roster.

In the event of a more short-term absence or rest day for Lewis, the top backups as of now are seemingly Kody Clemens and Eric Wagaman. Maybe those two could even form a platoon if Lewis went down. But man, what an incredibly dire situation that would be on defense. Tristan Gray, Ryan Kreidler or Orlando Arcia are more palatable gloves at the hot corner, depending who's on the roster, but like Urshela they haven't hit. The Twins don't really have much going on in terms of quality infield depth, and that's felt at third as much as anywhere.

THE BOTTOM LINE
This feels like a make-or-break season for Lewis. He still has three remaining years of control but if he doesn't significantly improve or can't stay on the field, you've got to think the Twins will be inclined to chart a new path at third base. Presently, it's totally unclear how that path might look take shape. Maybe Kaelen Culpepper shifts over to third at some point, though that would open up its own can of worms for planning elsewhere, as we'll address in the next installment of this series. 

For now, all eyes are on Lewis, whose own success (or lack thereof) will play a huge role in determining whether the Twins are able to field a competitive team this season.

Catch up on the rest of our roster preview series:

• Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Catcher
• Twins 2026 Position Analysis: First Base
• Twins 2026 Position Analysis: Second Base

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[mikelink45]

At second base I said Keaschall or Bust

At third I repeat - Lewis or Bust

Our infield depth is really weak unless Marek and Culpepper really blossom quickly.   Culpepper seems like a real young prospect because of the length of time in the system.  But he is already into his 23rd year.   Marek is 21.  

MLB has been going to quicker and younger call ups.  Will the Twins? 

 

[Nshore]

Lewis said he was "proud of himself" for reporting his latest injury.  He is one strange character.  No wonder his muscles seize up.

If Brandon Winokur, for example, is a third base candidate, then why doesn't the organization play him primarily at third base now so he can get the reps and experience?  

The captain of the Twins' ship has jumped overboard, and the ship is drifting into Cape Horn.

[OregonTwinsFan]

I think we'll see Lewis have his best season yet (in terms of WAR).

[LA Vikes Fan]

I think the true Plan B at 3B is Brooks Lee. The infielder coming up to the system is Culpepper who is a better fielding SS than Lee. Should Lewis suffer another unfortunate injury that puts him on the IL for an extended period, the smart move is to move Lee to 3B, and to bring up Culpepper to play SS. This all assumes that Culpepper starts off well at AAA and that the injury isn't until at least May or June.

I think this also aligns with the long-term plan or at least what I think that plan should be. Lee is headed to being either a UTL or to the right side of the infield in combination with Keaschall (hard to say who plays second and who plays first). The issue is Lee's bat. If he can hit as well as we hope can, he's a starter either at second base or first base. If he continues to hit like he has so far, he's the infield UTL because he can play shortstop, albeit not at a very high fielding level but good enough to cover for an injury that takes a starting SS out for a few weeks. All of this is of course dependent on Culpepper being what we hope he can be but that is surely a better bet than any upside from Urshela, Gray, Kreidler, or Arcia. So bottom line for me is that if Lewis gets hurt, Lee moves to 3B, and Culpepper comes up and plays SS.

[Cris E]

If you think the depth is bad at the MLB level, last year the following guys made starts at 3B for the St Paul Saints.  Their current location is included.

Jose Miranda    69 games  Padres minors
Armando Alvarez   25 games  Mexican league
Jonah Bride  19 games Texas minors
Tanner Schobel  14 games  Twins AA
Yunior Severino  10 games   Mexican league
Will Holland  7 games   Free agent
Anthony Prato 6 games Free agent
Jefferson Morales (2 games, Mexico), Jair Camargo (2 games, Atlanta), Dalton Shuffield (1 game, retired) plus Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee.

So Tanner Schobel is our depth from AAA last season.  Gio Urshela was signed for a real reason, and it should be frightening.

 

[PDX Twin]

1 hour ago, mikelink45 said:

At second base I said Keaschall or Bust

At third I repeat - Lewis or Bust

Can Bust play two positions at once? :)

[Cris E]

He's only a backup, so sure.  His primary position is on the 60 Day.

[jmlease1]

I think if there's an early injury to Royce, plan B is Clemens, which isn't terrible as solutions go. But if Royce flames out, right now there isn't another internal solution that looks close to ready, unless you also have a different solution at SS (which they may or may not have). 

It's a little more scary because Royce has such an extensive injury history, but the reality is if Royce isn't a real factor on this team then the lineup is likely too much of a mess to be salvageable at this point.

Super bummed that Miranda collapsed, and I always find it weird that him getting beaned isn't front and center every time when he comes up, because it's pretty hard to not see it as having utterly and tragically altered the course of his career. Before that he didn't offer "tenuous" depth, he looked like a guy who could be a quality bat. (am pleased to see him doing well in SD in spring training, and hope it works out for him)

It was good to see Royce didn't carry his struggles at the plate out on the field and his defense has definitely improved. Hopefully he figures out some things at the plate and stays on the field.

[bean5302]

I'd be very unhappy if Gio Urshela was on the 40 man this year, let alone considered a primary backup for Royce Lewis 🤢

Fangraphs lists Clemens as the next on the depth chart at 3B, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Austin Martin there. Next on the list would mayyyyybe be Tanner Schobel, but he's got to show something in ST...

[ziggy]

Quote

Can Bust play two positions at once? :)

Yes, every time Satchel Paige pitches.

[bean5302]

Speaking of Miranda...
.400/.455/.750 OPS 1.205 in 22 PA this Spring 9.1% BB, 18.2% K

Seems like he's seeing the ball pretty well. Glad to see it, and hope it continues.

[KirbyDome89]

2 hours ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

I think the true Plan B at 3B is Brooks Lee. The infielder coming up to the system is Culpepper who is a better fielding SS than Lee. Should Lewis suffer another unfortunate injury that puts him on the IL for an extended period, the smart move is to move Lee to 3B, and to bring up Culpepper to play SS. This all assumes that Culpepper starts off well at AAA and that the injury isn't until at least May or June.

I think this also aligns with the long-term plan or at least what I think that plan should be. Lee is headed to being either a UTL or to the right side of the infield in combination with Keaschall (hard to say who plays second and who plays first). The issue is Lee's bat. If he can hit as well as we hope can, he's a starter either at second base or first base. If he continues to hit like he has so far, he's the infield UTL because he can play shortstop, albeit not at a very high fielding level but good enough to cover for an injury that takes a starting SS out for a few weeks. All of this is of course dependent on Culpepper being what we hope he can be but that is surely a better bet than any upside from Urshela, Gray, Kreidler, or Arcia. So bottom line for me is that if Lewis gets hurt, Lee moves to 3B, and Culpepper comes up and plays SS.

Idk where this idea of Brooks Lee at 1B is coming from. He hasn't shown anything offensively to suggest (defense aside) he could even stick at SS let alone be viable at 1B or 3B. 

[Cris E]

3 hours ago, bean5302 said:

Fangraphs lists Clemens as the next on the depth chart at 3B, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Austin Martin there. Next on the list would mayyyyybe be Tanner Schobel, but he's got to show something in ST...

Austin has not played 3B since 4 games his senior year in college, in 2020.  I think he'd be surprised even if you aren't. 

I believe the plan mostly consists of saying rosaries morning, noon and night for Lewis. Then come the utility guys. Clemens has played a couple dozen games over there at the MLB level so he is probably the long-term replacement. I can't believe Shelton hasn't put him over there more often this spring.

[DJL44]

Wagaman will make the team and start at 3B if Lewis is injured.

[Cris E]

15 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Wagaman will make the team and start at 3B if Lewis is injured.

Mea culpa, I completely forgot about him.  He's better than the glove-only guys but not a real solution. I'm not sure if he's any better than Clemens. Stay well, Mr Lewis.

[IndianaTwin]

4 hours ago, jmlease1 said:

...It's a little more scary because Royce has such an extensive injury history, but the reality is if Royce isn't a real factor on this team then the lineup is likely too much of a mess to be salvageable at this point....

I've been saying the same. The focus on TD has often been on the bullpen, but the ceiling vs. floor variance on the hitting side is pretty large. 

Keaschall continuing to be a stud, Lee improving to the area of average, Martin showing that the last couple months was legit and Larnach bouncing back a bit would all be huge, but I think the key is Lewis and Wallner. 

• Buxton, Keaschall, Wallner, Lewis, Jeffers, Larnach, Bell, Martin, Lee at their best is a pretty good lineup.
• All else being the same, the fall to Buxton, so-so Martin, Jeffers, Bell, Larnach, Clemens at 3B, Caratini at DH, struggling Keaschall, no-improvement Lee is not. 

Tweak those orders as you wish, but the point is the same. Having 2023/24 Wallner and Studley Lewis lengthens the lineup a lot.

Said another way -- Bell batting seventh can be a competitive lineup. Bell batting fourth cannot. 

[DocBauer]

Maybe I'm just too much of an optimist, but I have a really good feeling about Royce heading in to 2026. I think he's an emotional/passionate player. I think he loves good vibes. And I think he's feeling that way today. Further, I think the hard work he's put in with his personal trainer is starting to pay off with a healthy 2nd half of 2025. His body has changed, he lost his swing, and by his own admission he was messed up at the plate. 

What I think gets lost is that despite average results the 2nd half of 2025 was the simple fact that his defense was solid, he was healthy, and so healthy that he began to run a bit, with success.

The couple hilights I've seen so far coming out of ST is a more balanced, and confident stance and swing. He looks more like he's just "ready" for whatever is thrown. 

I honestly believe he's going to have his healthiest and best season to date. Let's not forget he's still only 26yo. This is not an old man. This is a relatively young player who has endured a TON of injury setbacks that mostly go back to TWO knee injuries, but who has flashed great potential at times. I say again, he doesn't have to be Superman to be a really good player going forward.

I don't like the current roster construction, and I've been pretty vocal about that. But as bad as that construction is, were Larnach moved and Outman gone, the ENTIRE roster changes. While not great, Bell gets to DH more, and 1B becomes a combination of Clemens, Wagaman, and Caratini once in a while. Roden and Martin handle LF, and Roden can play all 3 spots, and Martin can also play a little CF if needed. So you are OK at 1B defensively, and have good LF defense. And Clemens and Wagaman can help cover some at 3B if Lewis is out, along with whoever wins the utility role.

But depth changes, hopefully, around June or July 1st when K-Pepper is ready. Regardless of Lee improving with glove and bat, you have another talented option to add to the mix. He could debut as the SS for the immediate future and push Lee to a super utility spot, or he could debut as the super utility option. 

Down the road further, there is the possibility of Lewis moving to 1B, NOT because he isn't a good 3B, but simply because K-Pepper, Houston, and Keaschall are just a better mix at the other 3 spots and Lewis just makes sense at 1B. Or maybe Keaschall ends up at 1B, Lewis stays at 3B, and Culpepper maybe is the 2B.

It's a GOOD PROBLEM to deal with.

Further down the line, Winokur and Young could have a say in things. But Winokur is 2yrs from being ready, and Young is probably 4yrs away. So I'm just not going to get in to all of that.

IMO, you don't have to squint to see Royce being on a path of physical and mental health that will have him playing 120-130 games in 2026. You don't have to squint to see a healthy Keaschall playing 2B daily and improving his defense week to week, month to month, as the season goes along. And while you might have to squint a little bit, it's not that hard to see Lee, with natural ability, instincts, and hard work, taking at least a small step with the glove and bat to become a viable contributor in the INF. Add in K-Pepper at some point, and the INF starts to look like the OF, which might be getting to explode as a talented and productive unit.

But I honestly believe Lewis is FINALLY ready in body and mind to take the step forward we've all been longing for. Just remember, he doesn't have to be Superman to be good.