Royce Lewis Needs to Have an Open Mind

[Tom Froemming]

Image courtesy of © Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Royce Lewis needs to accept that he’s owed nothing. The Twins have no reason to keep his path back to third base open. Lewis needs to be open-minded about playing other positions. In fact, he should probably pursue that, eagerly.

Back in September 2024, Lewis was asked to play second base on occasion. He played there a couple of times. It didn’t go over well. At the time, Lewis questioned why he was playing second base and admitted he was “terrified’ out there. To refresh your memory, here’s a link to Gregg Masterson’s article that provided an overview of why the Twins tried Lewis at the keystone.

To be fair to Lewis, it’s unusual to have a player suddenly mix in at another position late in the season. That’s especially true on a team that’s in a playoff race.

But what about now?

Another thing Lewis said back in 2024 about playing second base was “it's not Spring Training—or Triple A, for that matter.” Well, that’s no longer a sticking point. Now, that's exactly what "it" is.

To be clear, there’s no indication that the Twins have approached Lewis about playing other positions yet. He’s played third base in all four of his games back with the Saints. However, both the team and the player should embrace the idea of expanding his positional flexibility.

This demotion alone should be a wake-up call for Lewis, but that the Twins have also shifted Brooks Lee into his old position should be extra sobering. Nor is that a temporary thing. Derek Shelton said Lee is playing third base going forward, only making occasional cameos at shortstop. It’s not as if Lee is going to completely block Lewis, as he’s struggled himself, but why not open up other potential paths for Lewis?

That’s right, paths, plural. I wouldn’t stop at just second base. Get him in at first base. Heck, put him back in the outfield. Sure, his ACL might explode again at any moment out there, but what’s left to protect? Back in 2024, Lewis was viewed as a potential franchise cornerstone, so it made sense to try to keep him comfortable and attempt to shield him from injury. He doesn’t get that benefit anymore.

There are a lot of moving parts in the Twins' infield at the moment, and nobody is a lock. Even Luke Keaschall has struggled to the point where he may eventually join Lewis and Matt Wallner for a St. Paul refresh of his own. The veteran trio of Tristan Gray, Ryan Kreidler and Orlando Arcia have all played well to varying degrees, but they’re all better suited to be reserves than starters.

Kaelen Culpepper is going to be the Twins' starting shortstop, sooner rather than later. That’s the only thing I feel confident enough to say about the infield right now. In addition to Lee already having been pushed off of shortstop, Culpepper’s arrival will move any of the Gray/Kreidler/Arcia class who are still around to play more second and third base. That’s a crowded infield picture, even before factoring in Lewis.

The Twins need to keep their options open. Royce Lewis needs to keep an open mind. Otherwise, the end of this decade-old relationship between player and team might come pretty suddenly.

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[thelanges5]

💯agree with this take. Lewis needs to embrace the challenge before him and show some accountability. 

[Mahoning]

First base if he earns it. An athletic first baseman is an asset.

[mikelink45]

He might need to move to another organization.  What he is doing at AAA is a sign that much of his MLB failure is psychological. 

[JD-TWINS]

My view for “the future”, if Lewis solves his struggles in the batter’s box, is Lee at 1B and Lewis at 3B. That’s probably a 2027 reality, if ever.

At some point, Houston at SS and Culpepper at 3B

If Lewis hits & Lee hits they’ll find their way into the line-up. Keaschall needs to continue to lift his offensive output or he’ll be displaced first by Arcia and then by Lee ……… assuming Lewis is fixed.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

Tom, It's good to read  again an article written by you.  Don't be a stranger. Royce doesn't do slumps and i don't do podcasts. 

[Nshore]

47 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

He might need to move to another organization.  What he is doing at AAA is a sign that much of his MLB failure is psychological. 

"Baseball is 90% mental.  The other half is physical" . - YB

[twinfan]

Sorry but looking at the history and feeling about both first base and third base I don't see Lee playing either. He hits in streaks but doesn't even have 20 home run power which is what most players at those positions have. Second or short is more suited for him. Lewis could return at third sometime this season but maybe the Twins need to move on from him if his attitude is that poor. In his defense, if he had never played second before, then asking him to move there as a young player in the middle of a season was a dumb move.

[Eris]

I think the Twins are a better team with Kreidler at SS and Lee at 3B. Defensively this seems to be an upgrade at both positions. 

[TJSweens]

1 hour ago, thelanges5 said:

💯agree with this take. Lewis needs to embrace the challenge before him and show some accountability. 

I don't think Lewis is lacking in the accountability department. He hasn't made any excuses that I'm aware of. By all accounts, he maintains a great attitude and has been working his butt off to break out of his long  slump. 

This demotion isn't about a wake up call. It's a simple matter that the Twins can no longer afford to let him try to work it out at the major league level. 

[tony&rodney]

The Twins are probably ready to move on from Royce Lewis. The problem is his value. What team sees Lewis as an important acquisition. Posters often point to players performing well in the minor leagues and there might be a team that sees those home runs and dreams of Lewis doing that for their team. 

June is coming up pretty soon and if Kaelen Culpepper can continue to hit and play a sound shortstop I believe the Twins will give him a call. Routinely people mention Marek Houston as the next long term shortstop. He looks smooth in the field. The offensive numbers for Houston are good but he doesn't look very good in the box, at least in my roughly 25-40 views of his plate appearances. Houston is at least 2-3 years away. When Culpepper is called up the Twins will have an opportunity to see if he looks the part of a major league shortstop. Hey, it may have at least a smidgeon of influence on the July draft pick as well (unlikely ... bpa).

[Patzky]

2 hours ago, thelanges5 said:

💯agree with this take. Lewis needs to embrace the challenge before him and show some accountability. 

The Quotable Royce has almost quoted himself out of town. 

[mike8791]

It should be pretty obvious by now that Lewis is a head case and will never emerge as the offensive force everyone envisioned.  No, better to trade him and let someone else try to deal with him.  Add Wallner to the mix + someone like Ober and one of our top 10 prospects and just maybe we could land a starting 1B or 3B who would better supply the thump this lineup so desperately needs. 

The question Zoll faces is this '26 Twins team a genuine contender for the playoffs?  Still highly doubtful, but at least 1/3 thru thye season we're still in the hunt.  In any case, it's time to build for the future and let the rooks play or roll the dice, trade for a major league hitter and go for it this year.  But relying on fringe guys like Clemens, Gray, Kreidler, Arcia is simply a losing proposition - both short and long term.

[DJL44]

Lee is the utility player, not Lewis. If Lewis returns to 3B, they can move Lee anywhere in the infield.