Royce Lewis’s Spring Struggles: Fluke, or Red Flag?

[USAFChief]

7 minutes ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

Yup, when Eric Wagaman is the next man up at 3B, it’s Lewis or bust.

We have people here advocating moving Brooks Lee to 3rd....a worse hitter than Lewis, ferpetesakes.

 

But on topic, yeah, just another example of how bad, and shallow, this roster is.

Edited March 26 by USAFChief

[LA Vikes Fan]

2 hours ago, JADBP said:

I still have high hopes for Lewis...but yeah, RED Flag.  

There are two options that the Twins can take:  1) send him down to focus on hitting (something he should have been doing all off-season with the MLB coaches) or 2) play him until he becomes a liability to the team (a very low bar this year) then send him down for retraining (as long as it takes) or trade him.  

I am sure they chose #2 because he was a 1-1 draft pick and it would look very bad if the Twins had to give up on him at age 27.  But, the reality is, IT DOES LOOK VERY BAD FOR THE TWINS!  They have badly trained/taught/coached/handled Royce.  From constantly training him in as a SS without really expecting him to stick there, then suddenly switching him to 2B or 3B or 1B or wherever they can discombobulate him the most. 

I think his constant injuries might could be traced to poor coaching, from either not addressing bad habits, improper daily routines, poor conditioning, improper game preparation, etc.  The Twins, over the last 10-15 years, have had a seemingly immense number of injuries.  Compare this to the LAD or NYY...how come you don't see as many injuries on these teams?  They must be doing something different...or doing it more correctly than the Twins.  

I live in LA and Dodgers have all kinds of injury issues. They've won the last two World Series with pitching staffs cobbled together to get around injury problems. Of course, having unlimited resources to pay talented guys who can't stay healthy big money even though they regularly break down helps - see Glasnow (never pitched more than 130 innings in a season, salary $30m) and Snell( 5 year $182m contract, one year over 130 innings out of the last 7 years) . I'd be interested in some statistics on that if you think the Twins have more than their share, I think the Dodgers have had just as many injuries, they just have more resources to find and keep quality replacements. A 25 year, 8.25 billion dollar TV deal helps. My sense is that the Twins don't have more injuries, they just lack the resources to replace guys who get hurt with guys who can play. 

[NYCTK]

28 minutes ago, LA Vikes Fan said:

I live in LA and Dodgers have all kinds of injury issues. They've won the last two World Series with pitching staffs cobbled together to get around injury problems. Of course, having unlimited resources to pay talented guys who can't stay healthy big money even though they regularly break down helps - see Glasnow (never pitched more than 130 innings in a season, salary $30m) and Snell( 5 year $182m contract, one year over 130 innings out of the last 7 years) . I'd be interested in some statistics on that if you think the Twins have more than their share, I think the Dodgers have had just as many injuries, they just have more resources to find and keep quality replacements. A 25 year, 8.25 billion dollar TV deal helps. My sense is that the Twins don't have more injuries, they just lack the resources to replace guys who get hurt with guys who can play. 

Last year was a pretty remarkably healthy season for a MLB team. Lopez missed half the season and the most significant position player injury was to a Rookie. 

2024 wasn't really the fault of injures either, with Ryan missing a third of the season and then Lewis and Correa missing large stretches. 

I'd wager the Twins have been in the top half of healthiness the last 3 seasons, not the bottom half. 

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Since Lewis doesn't do slumps, I have to believe this is permanent.

[Jacksson]

RED FLAG !!

Can he be optioned??

[Old Twins Hat]

IT's not just Royce's spring struggles, it's his struggle in general, to stay on the field, to hit the baseball, to become a positive contributor to the team.  That's the issue(s), and they all point to a basic question:  is Royce going to make it as a baseball player in this league?

I hope so.  I root for him.  I believe if the Twins are going to go anywhere in the next number of years, they sure need him to be at least average.

So, Royce, bring it baby.  And be a sturdy member of this squad.

 

[KirbyDome89]

4 hours ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

Not sure, haven't been following until now, but yeah I am still thinking there were systemic issues the past nine years with how Lewis and so many other guys underperformed. 

Certainly plausible. Lewis also gets lumped in with guys like Miranda, Julien, Wallner (to an extent) ect. and that's not really apples to apples. I'm not giving Lewis a pass, he's been massively disappointing the last few years, but undoubtedly his inability to stay healthy has played a significant role. It's fair to question how much organizational instruction Lewis is actually absorbing at this point. I think it's entirely possible that the unsustainably hot start in a very SSS combined with the injuries set unreasonable expectations. That said, he hasn't been anything more than average-ish for short bursts the last 2 years and we're having serious discussions about whether he's worthy of arbitration, let alone an extension. 

It very well could be that the Twins found a way to maximize the thing(s) some of the lesser prospects do well, and once big league pitching found a way to adjust, there was nothing there to counter with. Guys like the trio I mentioned weren't "can't miss," status. Brooks Lee might just be a subpar SS without a good hit tool. Again, I'm not giving this organization a pass, I think they've done a pretty poor job of developing players. What I'm saying is I don't know if there's actually some systemic issue that stops these young guys from blossoming at the MLB level, rather, the Twins might've squeezed all the metaphorical juice they could out of these guys, i.e. maybe it's a dearth of talent, and not a total failure in making the developmental jump from AAA to MLB.  

Miranda and Julien will be interesting case studies this year. 

[IndianaTwin]

If Lewis is cooked based on his 45 spring at bats, I assume we can also consider Lee cured based on his 54 at bats with an .817 OPS?

[AceWrigley]

4 hours ago, JADBP said:

I think his constant injuries might could be traced to poor coaching, from either not addressing bad habits, improper daily routines, poor conditioning, improper game preparation, etc.  The Twins, over the last 10-15 years, have had a seemingly immense number of injuries.  Compare this to the LAD or NYY...how come you don't see as many injuries on these teams?  They must be doing something different...or doing it more correctly than the Twins.  

Seriously? The Yanks and Dodgers are like walking medical wards. I don't think the torn ACL's are due to poor training or coaching, sometimes its just that bad injuries happen.

Lewis didn't exactly dominate in the minor leagues, in fact his MLB OPS is better than his Milb OPS, .762 vs .760.  He's got definite skills and character but his hit tool still needs work. I'm pulling for him. Lets hope he can find some consistency at the plate and have a solid season for the Twins in 2026.

[Parfigliano]

4 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

They aren't sending him down. It's just not happening. 

TC calls me up before they send Lewis down.

[Vanimal46]

36 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

TC calls me up before they send Lewis down.

Are you an infielder or outfielder? 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

1 hour ago, KirbyDome89 said:

Certainly plausible. Lewis also gets lumped in with guys like Miranda, Julien, Wallner (to an extent) ect. and that's not really apples to apples. I'm not giving Lewis a pass, he's been massively disappointing the last few years, but undoubtedly his inability to stay healthy has played a significant role. It's fair to question how much organizational instruction Lewis is actually absorbing at this point. I think it's entirely possible that the unsustainably hot start in a very SSS combined with the injuries set unreasonable expectations. That said, he hasn't been anything more than average-ish for short bursts the last 2 years and we're having serious discussions about whether he's worthy of arbitration, let alone an extension. 

It very well could be that the Twins found a way to maximize the thing(s) some of the lesser prospects do well, and once big league pitching found a way to adjust, there was nothing there to counter with. Guys like the trio I mentioned weren't "can't miss," status. Brooks Lee might just be a subpar SS without a good hit tool. Again, I'm not giving this organization a pass, I think they've done a pretty poor job of developing players. What I'm saying is I don't know if there's actually some systemic issue that stops these young guys from blossoming at the MLB level, rather, the Twins might've squeezed all the metaphorical juice they could out of these guys, i.e. maybe it's a dearth of talent, and not a total failure in making the developmental jump from AAA to MLB.  

Miranda and Julien will be interesting case studies this year. 

Systemic failures that have been hashed, rehashed, and hashed over again. Sounds like Lee and Lewis haven’t changed much over the last 12-24 months either. Lewis had the ‘It’ factor at one point. Lee may turn out ok but is he still shaped like a Lego guy? I don’t know. I do think coaching makes a difference in subtle ways. Would the Twins be any worse for wear if they just switched Lewis and Lee around at SS and 3B tomorrow? 
/nevertoolate

[The Great Hambino]

8 hours ago, AceWrigley said:

Seriously? The Yanks and Dodgers are like walking medical wards. I don't think the torn ACL's are due to poor training or coaching, sometimes its just that bad injuries happen.

 

Nah, if you tear your ACL slipping on ice in Houston, that's definitely on coaching

[David Maro]

Everyone saw him not looking good at the plate and instead of giving him another at bat they choose to pull him. If they would have given him a chance against a lesser pitcher he may have figured somethings out. They probably need to send him down after the first 3 series if things don't improve. He does have a ego that also gets in his way that may need to be humbled a bit.

[IndianaTwin]

11 hours ago, Vanimal46 said:

Are you an infielder or outfielder? 

And if you are a LH OF, prepare for the wrath of TD. 

[DannySD]

I think a bigger red flag is his career minor league OPS, which is .772. 

Also, he worked hard through two knee surgeries to make the majors, he's not 'mentally fragile'. 

[stringer bell]

I think there's a lot of kicking someone when they're down here. Royce Lewis is a talented 26-player who has already experienced some pretty big highs in MLB and has had a career worth of injury at age 26. Being terrible in spring has happened to a lot of players who then came out of the gate hot. I don't know if it will happen to Lewis, but I'll be a lot more concerned with a 3-30 stretch if the games count. 

I put a lot of blame for his poor stats in 2025 on trying to return too soon from injury. He was a pretty good player after the All-Star break and showed more speed and athleticism. He's not Superman and he shouldn't try to be. Maybe in batting him eighth Shelton is trying to send that message. 

[IndianaTwin]

29 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

...I put a lot of blame for his poor stats in 2025 on trying to return too soon from injury. He was a pretty good player after the All-Star break and showed more speed and athleticism. He's not Superman and he shouldn't try to be. Maybe in batting him eighth Shelton is trying to send that message. 

Agreed.

And to add, I didn't question him coming back so early. The Twins were in a bit of a desperate situation -- it was the time of year when they were picking up Clemens and having to run with Gasper and Julien with Castro and Keaschall on the IL. They pretty much had to roll the dice on Lewis being close enough to contribute.

If either Castro or Keaschall hadn't gone on the IL, I suspect Lewis would have had a longer rehab -- it was only about 10 days, after having an abbreviated spring training.  

[Linus]

He made swing changes so he’s trying. At this point I’m not hoping for 1-1 draft level performance. I would settle for solid production on both sides of the ball. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

45 minutes ago, stringer bell said:

I think there's a lot of kicking someone when they're down here. Royce Lewis is a talented 26-player who has already experienced some pretty big highs in MLB and has had a career worth of injury at age 26. Being terrible in spring has happened to a lot of players who then came out of the gate hot. I don't know if it will happen to Lewis, but I'll be a lot more concerned with a 3-30 stretch if the games count. 

I put a lot of blame for his poor stats in 2025 on trying to return too soon from injury. He was a pretty good player after the All-Star break and showed more speed and athleticism. He's not Superman and he shouldn't try to be. Maybe in batting him eighth Shelton is trying to send that message. 

He has more plate appearances in 2025 at an 85 wRC+ than he did during his amazing burst out of the gate at 150 wRC+. In the second half of 2025 he had a 97 wRC+ .723 OPS. His projections for 2026 are right in line .745 OPS 105 wRC+ and his career is .762 OPS 110wRC+.

That’s average to slightly below 3B average.

is it really kicking him when he’s down? Or is it adjusting expectations?

 

[ashbury]

1 hour ago, IndianaTwin said:

And if you are a LH OF, prepare for the wrath of TD. 

But the warm, sweet embrace of this front office.

[stringer bell]

1 hour ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

He has more plate appearances in 2025 at an 85 wRC+ than he did during his amazing burst out of the gate at 150 wRC+. In the second half of 2025 he had a 97 wRC+ .723 OPS. His projections for 2026 are right in line .745 OPS 105 wRC+ and his career is .762 OPS 110wRC+.

That’s average to slightly below 3B average.

is it really kicking him when he’s down? Or is it adjusting expectations?

 

Fair point, probably the better term for my response is and should have "overreaction" to a bad run in Spring Training. 

[Vanimal46]

The tone has been set for 2026 - batting 8th on opening day and pinch hit for Larnach with the game on the line. Not encouraging 

[USAFChief]

16 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

The tone has been set for 2026 - batting 8th on opening day and pinch hit for Larnach with the game on the line. Not encouraging 

Lunges for a 1-0 breaking ball at his ankles and taps into a 5-4-3 rally killing GDP. 

[h2oface]

Danny Valencia II. And it cost a number 1 overall draft pick. 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Opening day, batting 8th, non-premium position, pinch hit for late. 

Royce is obviously not good right now and the Twins obviously do not value him. Just trade him. Jesus. 

[Vanimal46]

8 minutes ago, Hosken Bombo Disco said:

Opening day, batting 8th, non-premium position, pinch hit for late. 

Royce is obviously not good right now and the Twins obviously do not value him. Just trade him. Jesus. 

I remember right when Shelton was hired he said the first person he went to visit was Royce Lewis. Pumping his tires that he’s one of the most important players in the organization… 

You don’t bat one of your most important players 8th in the lineup no matter how poor he looked in spring training. You put him top 6 at minimum and give him confidence that he’ll break out when the games matter. 

[laloesch]

On 3/25/2026 at 7:46 PM, Coach said:

It all started with; "I don't do slumps." 

Yeah. That raised some eyebrows when he said that and there have been numerous other things he’s said to the media that have a lot of us questioning his baseball IQ. 

[laloesch]

2 hours ago, h2oface said:

Danny Valencia II. And it cost a number 1 overall draft pick. 

Yep. Bust pick at this point

[laloesch]

2 hours ago, USAFChief said:

Lunges for a 1-0 breaking ball at his ankles and taps into a 5-4-3 rally killing GDP. 

He’s a complete sucker for breaking balls. Not good