Royce Lewis and the Fastball Problem the Twins Can No Longer Ignore

[lukeduke1980]

14 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Can anyone think of another player who has been given so much time and opportunity to figure things out?

Perhaps a trip to AAA isn't the best idea. Maybe Royce needs a month in Ft. Myers to completely work on his feet and legs at the plate and he can work on ground balls too to keep him limber. I'm afraid a reset at AAA doesn't address the collapsing from leg or the dancing back foot.

Whatever, I will wish him luck.

This feels like Miguel Sano 2.0

[mluebker]

14 hours ago, djvang said:

He started thinking of himself as a superstar and got cocky…

I think you nailed it. He’s a guy who obviously was successful at every level he’s played. He learned how to handle that just fine, but apparently is unable to deal with things not coming naturally or easily. He’s probably been the star on every team he was part of and thought that always would be the case. And that initial success probably convinced him that was going to continue. But now everyone else out there was the best or among the best, and it sounds like for the first time in his experience they’ve figured out his weaknesses and he can’t adjust. For all the talk of his talent and tools, he seems to lack the ability to deal with that kind of adversity. Send him down to try to fix that, sure. But at this point the clock is ticking.

[PatG]

Please hit some singles/doubles to right field.  For about a month.  You get to see the ball a bit longer through the strike zone.  Get your timing back.

I remember him saying early on that he is a line drive hitter, stay on top of the ball

Also, remember the "I don't do slumps"; amazing how karma is a part of life. Get through this slump, hit some to right field.

This is Sano 2.0; he got into that Home Run derby and wasn't the same

[Jeff K]

18 hours ago, Nshore said:

Lewis's paranoid statement about people waiting to "write him off" is very......weird.  On the contrary it seems like the organization has been more than patient and bent over backward for him.  The young man really needs to grow up.

Well now, I was poised to show that quote and say basically what you did.  I will add that there are very few individuals that don't face pressure to perform, regardless of their careers.  His immaturity and lack of awareness are both concerning.

[TJSweens]

11 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

My memory could be faulty. I remember Lewis was a little bit of surprise. Little Bit.  

Hunter Greene was the name that year. 

 

Greene was considered THE pick that year. I was really hoping the Twins would take him. He has had a lot of injury issues in his own right. TJ surgery and currently on the 60 IL after getting his elbow scoped. 

Lewis was a late riser and there was a lot of steam in the days before the draft that the Twins would take him.

I was looking forward to seeing what Lewis could do if he could stay in the lineup. So far the results are discouraging.

[Linus]

From memory, didn’t Royce sign under slot?  I think we may have fell victim to Falvey is the smartest guy in the room syndrome. 

[saviking]

19 hours ago, LambchoP said:

The fact that he hasn't been sent down to find his swing is baffling....

He's out of options. Guess you are thinking no team will pick him up off the waiver wire. Same could be said for Wallner. Plus, they arent hitting well enough to get anything good in a trade. 

[MinnInPa]

send Lewis and Wallner down ...now! how much worse could Culpepper, Fedko, Rodriquez, heck bring Arcia up to play 3rd...just do something!!! ..sickening watching these guys flail away up here. At least it seems they have wizened up and are playing Martin every day ... just get Lewis and Wallner outa here   NOW !!!!

[Riverbrian]

20 minutes ago, TJSweens said:

Greene was considered THE pick that year. I was really hoping the Twins would take him. He has had a lot of injury issues in his own right. TJ surgery and currently on the 60 IL after getting his elbow scoped. 

Lewis was a late riser and there was a lot of steam in the days before the draft that the Twins would take him.

I was looking forward to seeing what Lewis could do if he could stay in the lineup. So far the results are discouraging.

If I remember correctly Greene had some two way consideration but his fastball was over 100 in high school. 

In all sports... I like reading the opinions of others on players and I read them but I usually stop short when it comes to wishing my team will take a certain player so whoever they take... they take. 

 

[USAFChief]

36 minutes ago, Linus said:

From memory, didn’t Royce sign under slot?  I think we may have fell victim to Falvey is the smartest guy in the room syndrome. 

Lewis signed for about $1Mil under slot, as I recall.

[USAFChief]

32 minutes ago, saviking said:

He's out of options. Guess you are thinking no team will pick him up off the waiver wire. Same could be said for Wallner. Plus, they arent hitting well enough to get anything good in a trade. 

Lewis is not out of options. 

Neither is Wallner...who was just sent to AAA.

[LambchoP]

Good move sending Wallner down finally. Would have rather seen someone like Fedko rather than Kreidler. Next they need to send Lewis down. If they want Culpeper to get more seasoning in St Paul, they can call up Arcia. 

[Cris E]

17 hours ago, djvang said:

They probably won't send him down until after June 6 - Royce Lewis Jersey Day.

They'd also probably want to have Culpepper ready to move up.  He's not exactly kicking the door down and they've got a utility player platoon up now to cover for him in the short term.

[Cris E]

The Royce they drafted was awesome and not second guessed.  Of course that was before a series of major injuries that may have robbed him of some of his skills. You may as well be talking about two separate players at this point.

[RpR]

18 minutes ago, Cris E said:

The Royce they drafted was awesome and not second guessed.  Of course that was before a series of major injuries that may have robbed him of some of his skills. You may as well be talking about two separate players at this point.

So called awdsome on paper. It is not uncommon for paper awesome heros to end up crumpled in the waste basket.

[Cris E]

Drafting is hard. There are some years where almost no one emerges as a star from the whole thing. In 2003 eight of the first rounders never played an MLB game. 

[saviking]

On 5/14/2026 at 10:14 AM, USAFChief said:

Lewis is not out of options. 

Neither is Wallner...who was just sent to AAA.

Thanks. I just assumed they were. 

[ashbury]

On 5/14/2026 at 5:11 PM, USAFChief said:

Lewis signed for about $1Mil under slot, as I recall.

And future Hall of Famer and current Atlanta Braves farmhand Blaine Enlow was the main beneficiary (again as I recall).

[jkcarew]

Used to let the ball get deep and take pitches on and off the outside edge and hit them hard the opposite way. Used to pick his spots for turning and launching. He’s changed drastically.

Now absolutely refuses to do anything other than pull the ball. Hits like a guy that wants to do nothing but hit home runs, but lacks both the discipline to accept walks or give in late in counts and go with the pitch…and also the pitch recognition skill to work the count in his favor and force the pitchers hand. Lost.
 

Lunging, rolling over…just ish. And when you’re lunging/cheating to reach and hook the pitch on the outside, the swing lengthens, you’re off balance, and the fastball, especially middle in, becomes a problem.

Needs a complete reset. Need to pay more attention to what’s going on with himself and less on what others are doing or saying.

[Linus]

Molitor said something really interesting a couple games ago when asked how he got out of slumps. He said I started hitting to right field and worked my way around. Makes sense from a get your swing perspective 

[jorgenswest]

The three significant injuries to his right side seem to have destroyed the strength of his back half. He hasn’t been the same since returning from his quad injury on that side in 2024.

I can’t imagine the hitting coach he hired this winter advocating for this swing. He needs to trust his back half to be stable and use that base to generate a powerful short path to the fastball. Subconsciously he may be worried about injury to the back half but he needs to risk it. 

[USAFChief]

Time to make a move on Lewis. This is supposed to be the big leagues. 

I don't even want to hear about his reaction. 

[jaimedude]

Lewis needs to be optioned to AAA. Bring up Culpepper to play SS or second base. Move Lee to third. 

[djvang]

On 5/14/2026 at 7:16 AM, lukeduke1980 said:

This feels like Miguel Sano 2.0

Sano tried to hit every ball 5 miles. Lewis tries to pull everything.

[djvang]

This is his K in the 9th inning. Look where that pitch is. And he swings at that pitch EVERY TIME! Time to send him down. They'll save on war paint.

[RpR]

18 hours ago, jaimedude said:

Lewis needs to be optioned to AAA. Bring up Culpepper to play SS or second base. Move Lee to third. 

Could not be any worse.

[Vanimal46]

Miguel Sano spent a little over a month doing a full reset starting in Ft Myers. I think the Twins need to draw up a 4-5 week full reset for Lewis as well.