The Twins Can't Wait Any Longer to Bring Back Royce Lewis

[Matthew Taylor]

Image courtesy of © Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

When the Minnesota Twins optioned Royce Lewis to Triple-A St. Paul on May 19, it felt like more than just a roster move. Lewis had endured a miserable start to the 2026 season, hitting his way to a .539 OPS in 31 games while striking out 37 times and drawing just 12 walks. Every at-bat seemed to bring more frustration. The former No. 1 overall pick looked completely lost at the plate, and the confidence that once made him one of baseball's most exciting young players appeared to be gone.

The decision to send Lewis to Triple-A wasn't made with the expectation that he would be back in a week or two. This was supposed to be a true reset. In many ways, it felt like the Twins had reached a crossroads with Lewis. His struggles didn't begin in 2026. They stretched back into the second half of 2024 and continued through the 2025 season. By the time the Twins made the decision to send him to St. Paul, the organization seemed to be acknowledging that something significant needed to change.

The goal wasn't simply to get Lewis hot for a few games. The Twins wanted him to rebuild everything. His swing needed work. His defense needed work. His confidence needed work. Most importantly, he needed time. If Lewis was going to get another opportunity in Minnesota, the Twins needed to know that the changes were real. Given how long the struggles had lasted, a quick hot streak wasn't going to be enough to convince anyone that he was ready.

At least, that's what everyone thought.

The only thing that could have changed that timeline would be if Lewis went to Triple-A and immediately started doing something absurd. Something that made it impossible for the Twins to ignore. Something like hitting eight home runs in 11 games. As ridiculous as that sounds, that's exactly what Lewis has done.

Through his first 12 games with the St. Paul Saints, Lewis has gone 18-for-49 with eight home runs and 19 RBIs. Nearly every night has featured another home run—another reminder of why the Twins once viewed him as a franchise cornerstone. Instead of simply looking better, Lewis has looked dominant.

Now the Twins may need to start asking themselves a difficult question. How much longer can they realistically keep him in Triple-A? After all, a hot streak in Triple-A is no guarantee that a player has figured things out.

Twelve games is still a tiny sample size, and there is certainly value in letting Lewis continue to prove that the adjustments are real over a longer period of time. But considering how lost he looked for much of the last two seasons, it wasn't a given that he would be able to dominate any level of pitching. The fact that he has immediately gone to St. Paul and started punishing baseballs should not be dismissed.

In a perfect world, the Twins would probably love to give Lewis another month in Triple-A and see if he can sustain this pace. The problem is that the Twins don't live in a perfect world. They need offense right now.

Since May 15, Minnesota ranks 24th in baseball with a .669 OPS. Injuries and underperformance have left the lineup searching for answers, and Ryan Jeffers's injury has only made matters worse. On a nightly basis, the Twins are relying on players such as Ryan Kreidler, Victor Caratini, Tristan Gray, Kody Clemens, and Josh Bell to carry the offense.

Keeping a player with Lewis's upside in Triple-A while he is hitting the way he is simply doesn't make sense. He wants to be back in the big leagues. He is showing signs of being the player the Twins know he can be. And most importantly, Minnesota is still very much in the middle of a season that could go either direction. If the Twins wait another two or three weeks for additional proof, they may find themselves running out of time to make a move that could impact the season.

Of course, calling Lewis up raises an obvious question. Where would he play? Third base, his primary position, now belongs to Brooks Lee. Since Lewis's demotion, Lee has settled in at third and has given the Twins little reason to make another change.

Fortunately, there may be a natural solution. On Thursday night, the St. Paul Saints started Lewis at first base for the first time, a move that could offer a glimpse into the Twins' plans. If Lewis can become comfortable at first base, Minnesota suddenly has a much easier path to getting his bat back into the lineup. A first-base platoon involving Lewis and Clemens would allow the Twins to maximize matchups while keeping Bell in a full-time designated hitter role. More importantly, it would create a way to add Lewis's bat without disrupting what Lee has established at third base. If he can play a bit of second, it's easy to make room for him there, too, since Luke Keaschall doesn't look like he belongs at that position defensively.

The Twins sent Lewis to St. Paul looking for signs of life. They've gotten much more than that. Now it's time to give him another shot.

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What do you think? Should the Twins call Royce Lewis up immediately, or would you like to see him spend more time in Triple-A before getting another opportunity in Minnesota? Leave a comment below and start the conversation!

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[mikelink45]

Why not - it won't ruin our teams winning streak - wait we lost last night.  If he has a hot bat I want it doing well in Minneapolis. 

[dxpavelka]

Lewis, Keaschall, Lee, Culpepper.  Laminate the card.

[Maybebaby]

Bring him up, nothing to lose at this point the team needs all the "O" it can get.

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

If they are seriously planning on turning Lewis into a first baseman, then he definitely needs more time in AAA to work on fielding that position. 

[karcherd]

Bring him up and play him at 1B, no platoon.  He has much more upside than Clemens, stop twisting ourselves into finding spots for Clemens.  If you want, start Clemens at different positions each day when he is hitting.  But Lewis should not be a part of a platoon if he comes back.  And Bell has not earned regular playing time, he can have AB's reduced.

[DJL44]

16 minutes ago, Bangkok Twins Fan said:

If they are seriously planning on turning Lewis into a first baseman, then he definitely needs more time in AAA to work on fielding that position. 

They have been running Josh Bell out there at 1B. Royce can’t do worse than that.

[LeatherAntenna]

While truly hot is he hitting to all fields?  I’ve heard no mention of that.  If he is just strictly pull hitting, then back up, won’t we just will see a .165 hitter again?

[Bracky]

17 minutes ago, karcherd said:

Bring him up and play him at 1B, no platoon.  He has much more upside than Clemens, stop twisting ourselves into finding spots for Clemens.  If you want, start Clemens at different positions each day when he is hitting.  But Lewis should not be a part of a platoon if he comes back.  And Bell has not earned regular playing time, he can have AB's reduced.

Until Lewis was to work more at 1B at AAA, I trust Clemens WAY more defensively in that role currently. 

I get it, the consistent "Clemens shouldn't even be on the roster" or "Clemens is a terrible bench player on all other teams" messages from this board. Yes, the Twins have roster construction issues. Yes, Clemens is NOT a star MLB player. But in terms of what the Twins have right now, he is nowhere near the top of my list of our problems in terms of contributing players. 

Also with what I saw from Lewis before going to AAA, I still don't trust his bat against MLB level pitching yet.

[rv78]

Yes the Twins need offense. Lewis WASN'T providing it when he was sent down to AAA. There is no guarantee he will provide it once he returns. The first question is.... has his approach at the plate changed or is that approach just working against AAA pitching where it has proven NOT to work at the major league level? Second question is.... what do you do with him if you bring him back up and he immediately struggles like he did before you sent him down in the first place?

[CRF]

No doubt he's tearing it up in StP. That's great. There's absolutely no guarantee he does that when he gets back up here. If the plan is to make him a first baseman, then give some time to work on that in StP, while seeing if he continues to rake at the plate. As much as we need a good bat in the lineup, I say leave him there for a while yet.  

[Reptevia]

AAA pitching is not MLB pitching. He can’t field the positions he knows, let alone a new position. 

[laloesch]

17 minutes ago, LeatherAntenna said:

While truly hot is he hitting to all fields?  I’ve heard no mention of that.  If he is just strictly pull hitting, then back up, won’t we just will see a .165 hitter again?

He’s not. He’s just hitting home runs.  His plate discipline hasn’t really changed he’s just punishing AAA pitching which he should.  I see WAY too many fans going ga ga over this but when he comes backs up im not expecting a different Lewis from before 

[laloesch]

12 minutes ago, Reptevia said:

AAA pitching is not MLB pitching. He can’t field the positions he knows, let alone a new position. 

Bingo and the homers are already circling the wagons around him just like they did with Sano when he was hitting so poorly. 

[chpettit19]

What adjustments has he made?

"the Twins needed to know that the changes were real."

What changes were made and why should the Twins believe they're real? There was never any doubt Royce Lewis is too good for AAA pitching. Him destroying AAA pitching doesn't prove he's made any adjustments or changes. You don't present any information on what changes or adjustments were made or why anyone should believe they're "real." 

Royce's walk rate is 5.2% in AAA compared to the 10.1% he had in the majors this year. He hasn't started laying off pitches and taking good at bats. His oppo% is down to 11.9% in AAA compared to the 14.7% he had in the majors this year. He hasn't started going the other way with pitches. His swing percentage overall has gone up to 51% from the 48.6% it was in the bigs. His O-Swing% (out of zone pitches he swings at) has gone up an insignificant amount from 32.8 to 33%.  Again, he hasn't stopped chasing pitches. He's simply making more, and better, contact against inferior pitching.

So, I ask again, what adjustments has he made and why should the Twins think they're real? Because it's pretty easy to look at his swing decision and approach numbers and see he hasn't changed anything. He's simply destroying inferior pitching. Why should we believe he's "fixed" and he wouldn't continue to struggle with his swing at everything, pull everything approach in the majors again when he hasn't changed that approach one bit? 

[tony&rodney]

Matthew Taylor, one must assume you are watching the Saints play and all of Lewis' plate appearances as opposed to highlights. Last night Matt Wallner hit three bombs in St. Paul. Looking at the results makes it seem like both of these players are ready to return.

I have not seen all of their plate appearances, but I have seen quite a few. Lewis is working on maintaining a stable base but has not totally eliminated the shifting feet and he still bails on breaking pitches and then flails away at sweepers. He doesn't seem to pick up a number of pitches but then crushes balls on other occasions. To my eye, Lewis is a work in progress with positive gains in consistency in play. I expect that the organization is watching everything very closely. 

Wallner is a different case. In every game it seems like a fly ball lands in right field that Austin Martin, not a gold glove outfielder, would easily catch. Wallner is taking huge cuts with better contact recently but also looking unpredictable at the dish. 

A thought that must be considered is where either Lewis or Wallner play if or when they return to the Twins. The big club is not getting enough from their outfielders but Wallner is unplayable out there. Clemens has proven himself to be a reliable glove and pesky bat for now. Do the Twins sit Keaschall or Lee for Lewis ... or Clemens? The current situation makes me wonder if there are teams interested in either or both of Lewis and Wallner. 

It is a complicated situation to say the least but I'm not seeing the type of play from either that puts them back into the Twins lineup. MLB pitchers are not as accommodating to struggling hitters as the fellows in minor league ball.

[Patzky]

55 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

Why not - it won't ruin our teams winning streak - wait we lost last night.  If he has a hot bat I want it doing well in Minneapolis. 

I wish we could.. He could identify what the abrupt change there is. It's more than just quality of pitching there, it's too abrupt and he's had success.in the bigs. After watching bumbledore in the infield the last two games, an infusion of Culpepper and-or Royce on defense would be a refreshing change. I really hoped that with the departure of Eddy Julien our lowlights would go also, but Keaschall and the rotating shortstops are not cutting it. Clemens can play 2nd if Royce plays first, Culpepper and Lee on the left side. Maybe Keaschall can DH or learn some outfield since Larnach isn't exactly plug and play out there.

[Patzky]

1 minute ago, chpettit19 said:

What adjustments has he made?

"the Twins needed to know that the changes were real."

What changes were made and why should the Twins believe they're real? There was never any doubt Royce Lewis is too good for AAA pitching. Him destroying AAA pitching doesn't prove he's made any adjustments or changes. You don't present any information on what changes or adjustments were made or why anyone should believe they're "real." 

Royce's walk rate is 5.2% in AAA compared to the 10.1% he had in the majors this year. He hasn't started laying off pitches and taking good at bats. His oppo% is down to 11.9% in AAA compared to the 14.7% he had in the majors this year. He hasn't started going the other way with pitches. His swing percentage overall has gone up to 51% from the 48.6% it was in the bigs. His O-Swing% (out of zone pitches he swings at) has gone up an insignificant amount from 32.8 to 33%.  Again, he hasn't stopped chasing pitches. He's simply making more, and better, contact against inferior pitching.

So, I ask again, what adjustments has he made and why should the Twins think they're real? Because it's pretty easy to look at his swing decision and approach numbers and see he hasn't changed anything. He's simply destroying inferior pitching. Why should we believe he's "fixed" and he wouldn't continue to struggle with his swing at everything, pull everything approach in the majors again when he hasn't changed that approach one bit? 

Is his defense at 2nd better than Keasch? That also needs to be considered.

[laloesch]

26 minutes ago, CRF said:

No doubt he's tearing it up in StP. That's great. There's absolutely no guarantee he does that when he gets back up here. If the plan is to make him a first baseman, then give some time to work on that in StP, while seeing if he continues to rake at the plate. As much as we need a good bat in the lineup, I say leave him there for a while yet.  

This. Switching to 1st base is a significant shift. I’ve watched a few of his games and yes he’s clubbed some home runs. The question has never been that Royce Lewis does not have power in his bat it’s his discipline at the plate and his eye as well.  I see not difference with his approach in AAA.  He’s punishing AAA starters which he should as an MLBer against inferior pitching.  Once he’s called back up he’ll have a short hot streak and return to mediocrity. I hope I’m wrong, but he was chasing everything out of the strike zone before.

[Patzky]

19 minutes ago, CRF said:

No doubt he's tearing it up in StP. That's great. There's absolutely no guarantee he does that when he gets back up here. If the plan is to make him a first baseman, then give some time to work on that in StP, while seeing if he continues to rake at the plate. As much as we need a good bat in the lineup, I say leave him there for a while yet.  

We already have a great first baseman who can hit homers 😁

[laloesch]

7 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

What adjustments has he made?

"the Twins needed to know that the changes were real."

What changes were made and why should the Twins believe they're real? There was never any doubt Royce Lewis is too good for AAA pitching. Him destroying AAA pitching doesn't prove he's made any adjustments or changes. You don't present any information on what changes or adjustments were made or why anyone should believe they're "real." 

Royce's walk rate is 5.2% in AAA compared to the 10.1% he had in the majors this year. He hasn't started laying off pitches and taking good at bats. His oppo% is down to 11.9% in AAA compared to the 14.7% he had in the majors this year. He hasn't started going the other way with pitches. His swing percentage overall has gone up to 51% from the 48.6% it was in the bigs. His O-Swing% (out of zone pitches he swings at) has gone up an insignificant amount from 32.8 to 33%.  Again, he hasn't stopped chasing pitches. He's simply making more, and better, contact against inferior pitching.

So, I ask again, what adjustments has he made and why should the Twins think they're real? Because it's pretty easy to look at his swing decision and approach numbers and see he hasn't changed anything. He's simply destroying inferior pitching. Why should we believe he's "fixed" and he wouldn't continue to struggle with his swing at everything, pull everything approach in the majors again when he hasn't changed that approach one bit? 

Exactly.  Royce Lewis’s pitch recognition is atrocious and MLB starters know he can’t lay off the offspeed stuff. He just chases everything that drop out of the zone and he’s still doing it with the Saints. Given what we’ve seen and what he’s said in posts to the media it APPEARS he’s difficult to coach and or incredibly stubborn.  

[bean5302]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Twins Fan said:

If they are seriously planning on turning Lewis into a first baseman, then he definitely needs more time in AAA to work on fielding that position. 

They need to trade him if they're trying to make him a 1B. 

[greglw333]

49 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

They have been running Josh Bell out there at 1B. Royce can’t do worse than that.

.163 vs .229 says he can do worse.

I see a guy who struggled because he was swinging all in for home runs in MLB and not trying to be a complete hitter who uses the whole field and gets base hits, thus the .163 BA.

What’s changed in AAA? He’s still swinging for Home Runs and this time he’s getting them but against pitchers who are inferior to MLB pitchers, especially the good ones.

I think the swing deconstruction and approach overhaul was a big project that would take at least 2 months. Would Lewis even buy in? I just don’t see any evidence that they’ve done that with him.

I’d rather bring up Culpepper SS, Fedko (backup CF and OF), Mendez (hitter extraordinaire) or Sabato (1B and look at his superb offensive numbers!) than Lewis.

[chpettit19]

29 minutes ago, Patzky said:

Is his defense at 2nd better than Keasch? That also needs to be considered.

If he's going to come back and OPS under .550, no, it doesn't need to be considered. He isn't a gold glover or anything. An average defender with an OPS of .550 doesn't have a career. If Royce hasn't fixed his offensive problems, nothing else matters. Royce currently has a worse OPS than any Christian Vazquez season. Royce's offense is all that matters right now.

[Hunter4848]

27 minutes ago, laloesch said:

Exactly.  Royce Lewis’s pitch recognition is atrocious and MLB starters know he can’t lay off the offspeed stuff. He just chases everything that drop out of the zone and he’s still doing it with the Saints. Given what we’ve seen and what he’s said in posts to the media it APPEARS he’s difficult to coach and or incredibly stubborn.  

And the Twins aren't good at coaching...

[bean5302]

First off, Happy Birthday to Royce Lewis!

Lewis was hyper aggressive when he came back from the IL. He's shown league average pitch recognition, though he's always tended to be aggressive at the plate. Honestly, he's struggled against fastballs in recent seasons. His timing needs adjustment as does his "new" plate approach.

Lewis was not helpful to the team when he was demoted. The expected metrics also showed Lewis wasn't league average at the plate. If he hasn't made the adjustments he needs to make, and last time I checked, he hadn't, then he's not going to be substantially better than what the Twins have. What was the point of the demotion if not to get him right? Was there some belief that Gray and Kreidler were legitimate MLB starting caliber players?

Also, where is Lewis needed? Lee is at 3B now (not that he's any good at it), the Twins are trashing Lewis' value moving him all over the diamond having him stand where different positions stand. He played 1B last night. Is he moving back to SS without playing it?

[bean5302]

that was a lot of question marks.

Lewis is not a good hitter at the MLB level without changing his approach.

Lewis probably hasn't changed his approach yet.

The journeyman roster filler guys who replaced him in the starting lineup are playing BETTER than could be reasonably expected.

[jmlease1]

This is where it's complicated for Royce Lewis. You can't expect him to not take advantage of AAA pitchers and club homers when the opportunity arises. Is his walk rate down at AAA? Sure, but he's also hitting .357. When players on on a hot streak like that they're walk rates are always going to be lower because they're hitting everything and don't have to grind out as many walks. (The OBP is .429, so it's not like he's just swinging at everything)

Right now, his approach is working. He's not just hitting AAA pitching, he's utterly destroying it. How to you tell a guy to "go the other way" more when he's crushing it? (Pulling the ball isn't an inherent evil either; ask David Ortiz) He can be pull-happy if his bat speed is letting him catch up to fastballs and he can lay off the breaking stuff away...so is he showing enough of that?

Notably, Royce is a confidence player. He was not swinging with any confidence when he got sent down, and he was just guessing at pitches. His confidence has got to be jumping way back up again, which you'd think would be a good think. It does sound like some people around here don't want that for Royce and think he needs to be broken and humbled before he's allowed back up to MLB, if he ever is. (I'd say there are some people who don't want him around at all ever again; as much as there are supposed homers who are back on the bandwagon there seem to be haters who have given up on Royce too and even successes in AAA will be discounted...)

[Western SD Fan]

I think it is important to note that they worked on his swing and mechanics in the box first.  They are just now giving him some position work at 2B and 1B.  He has exactly played 1 game at second and 1 game at first this week.  He will need some more time to get used to the new position(s) before he is called back up to the majors.  I can already picture the game thread roasting him on his poor defense when he can't make a scoop at first or when he misses a ball up the middle at second, regardless of whether he will hit like he currently is in St Paul.

[ToddlerHarmon]

1 hour ago, dxpavelka said:

Lewis, Keaschall, Lee, Culpepper.  Laminate the card.

I appreciate the sentiment, and it should be plan A for 2026. But all the major leaguers on that list have shown plenty of reason to doubt that steady playing time will turn them into competent regulars. Alas.