Royce Lewis Forced His Way Back. Now Comes the Hard Part.

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

For years, Royce Lewis represented possibility. He was the first overall pick. The face of the next competitive Twins core. A player whose combination of athleticism, power, and charisma made him one of the most exciting talents the organization had developed in decades.

Today, he is something else entirely. Lewis returned to Minnesota on Saturday after spending just 19 days at Triple-A St. Paul, a stay that was originally expected to be much longer. Rather than sulk over the demotion, he responded exactly how the Twins hoped he would.

Lewis hit .340 with eight home runs in 13 games for the Saints. He also embraced something that had previously seemed unlikely, spending time at both second base and first base in an effort to increase his defensive versatility. That performance (and, admittedly, the shoddy work of each player the team tried in his stead) forced Minnesota's hand.

Now comes the difficult part. Lewis didn't simply earn another promotion. He earned what could be the most important four months of his professional career.

The Clock Is No Longer Working in His Favor
Some might view this as Lewis's final opportunity with the Twins, but even that statement is cloudy. He's only 27 years old and remains under team control through 2028. Talent does not simply disappear overnight, and his Triple-A performance served as a reminder that the offensive upside still exists. So did a 112-MPH single off his bat over the weekend, and his long home run Wednesday night in Detroit.

At the same time, the circumstances around him have changed dramatically. The Twins' infield is becoming increasingly crowded. Luke Keaschall and Brooks Lee are younger than Lewis and have produced at a higher level this season. Top prospect Kaelen Culpepper continues moving toward Minnesota and projects as another player who will soon require everyday opportunities.

The Twins can no longer build future plans around what Lewis once was. They need evidence of what he is today. That makes the remainder of the 2026 season incredibly important.

The Bat Must Return

Everything starts with offense. Lewis earned his recall by destroying Triple-A pitching, but the Twins need that production to carry over to the major leagues. Before being sent to St. Paul, Lewis was hitting just .163/.261/.279 with a 54 wRC+. The struggles were not isolated to a bad month or two.

Since August 2024, Lewis has posted a combined .213/.268/.336 line with a 67 wRC+ across 181 major-league games. That sample is large enough to create legitimate concern. The version of Lewis that burst onto the scene from 2022 through the first half of 2024 may never fully return. Expecting that level of production again would be unrealistic.

What Minnesota needs is something much simpler. They need an above-average major-league hitter. If Lewis can provide consistent power, improve his on-base percentage, and once again become a middle-of-the-order threat, the conversation surrounding his future changes immediately. If he cannot, the Twins will face difficult decisions.

Defensive Flexibility Matters More Than Ever

One of the most encouraging developments from Lewis's demotion was his willingness to expand his defensive profile. He started at second base in his first game back before moving to first base later in the contest. On Sunday, he made his first career major-league start at first base.

Those assignments weren't accidental. Minnesota is searching for ways to keep Lewis in the lineup, while also preserving opportunities for players such as Keaschall. The fact that Lewis is being asked to move around the diamond also reveals another reality. He is no longer viewed as an automatic, everyday starter at one position.

The more defensive value he can provide at first base, second base, third base, and designated hitter, the easier it becomes for manager Derek Shelton to find regular at-bats. For Lewis, versatility is no longer a bonus. It is becoming a necessity.

He Must Force the Twins to Include Him in Their Future

The Twins have given Lewis another chance because his talent remains undeniable. But this opportunity is about more than surviving on the roster. It is about proving he deserves a place in Minnesota's long-term plans.

Lewis returned to the majors with momentum, but the early results have been modest. He went 1-for-7 with a single and a walk in his first two games back. Saturday's loss ended with Lewis taking a called third strike on a full-count pitch with the tying and winning runs on base. Not until that 444-foot homer Wednesday did he seem to truly announce his return.

The organization needs to see a productive hitter who can contribute across multiple positions and consistently impact games. If that player emerges over the final months of 2026, Lewis can once again become part of the next Twins core. If not, Minnesota may eventually view him as a player who needs a change of scenery, rather than a foundational piece. Lewis successfully hit his way back to the major leagues. Now, he has until the end of 2026 to hit his way back into the Twins' future.

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What does Lewis need to do to put himself back in Minnesota’s long-term plans? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

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[Linus]

9 minutes ago, Cody Christie said:

The Twins have given Lewis another chance because his talent remains undeniable. But

Are we sure this is true?  This gets repeated a lot but if you were to grade his five tools on a scouting scale the only thing that would be above 50 is hit for power. 

[TJSweens]

Before he went to AAA, Royce looked like a hitter who was overthinking everything. His body language didn't exactly scream confidence. His AB looked very mechanical. Almost like he was going through a check list of every component of his swing before every pitch. 

Lewis looks more relaxed now. His swing looks fluid. Now it seems to be...see ball, hit ball. It's only a few games, but there seems to be some loud contact. His plate discipline looks improved too. 

Like I said, it's only a few games. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. If Royce has worked it out, he still has a huge upside.

[TJSweens]

17 minutes ago, Linus said:

Are we sure this is true?  This gets repeated a lot but if you were to grade his five tools on a scouting scale the only thing that would be above 50 is hit for power. 

His speed and his arm would also grade high. I would give his hit consistency an incomplete. The tools are absolutely there. It's a matter of knowing how to use them.

[roger]

You nailed it,  Cody.

[umterp23]

One home run truly announces his return…that’s wishful commentary. He has a long way to go to announce he is in their future plans. He still has way too many happy feet swings at the plate for. Y liking.

[Linus]

21 minutes ago, TJSweens said:

His speed and his arm would also grade high. I would give his hit consistency an incomplete. The tools are absolutely there. It's a matter of knowing how to use them.

Respectfully disagree. His sprint speed is average and so is his arm. 

[tony&rodney]

It seems strange that Royce has such an inconsistent base when he swings. The dancing feet issue (both moving) looks to be reduced, although it still exists. One can still see the backside buckle on many pitches that look like they may come inside and good sweepers/breaking pitches are really tough for Lewis. Most baseball players have a pretty consistent base when they swing. When Lewis has a solid base and firm backside he is a good hitter. The lack of production is a result of so much difficulty having a consistent process.

[karcherd]

33 minutes ago, umterp23 said:

One home run truly announces his return…that’s wishful commentary. He has a long way to go to announce he is in their future plans. He still has way too many happy feet swings at the plate for. Y liking.

Have you been watching the games since Royce returned.  His feet are much quieter in the box.  He has a step back to help with timing and power and a little leg kick, that is not happy feet.  Yes he has swung at a couple of the low outside pitches, but he has improved his plate discipline,  He has one strikeout in 15 AB's.  This is a small sample size and he has to start turning his improvements into steady production at the plate.  But he is looking better, anyone who is objective can see that.

[CRF]

Yes, it looks like he made a few subtle adjustments. Whether or not it translates to better overall performance at the plate, remains to be seen. He's only been back here for a handful of games. We'll see. We sure could use some improved hitting from him in the lineup. 

[Riverbrian]

I'm pulling for him. 

Royce Lewis being what he is supposed to be... would be a significant boost to our team. 

Royce Lewis being absolutely terrible... would be a tragic blow to our Twins. 

They need him fixed now so we can enjoy it before he reaches free agency. 

[DJL44]

I really hope he performs well. If he doesn’t he will eventually get non-tendered. If he performs well he is likely to get traded. He can play third base well enough to start there for a different team.

[mikelink45]

I had to look up Royce's scouting report since commentators have given their own grades.

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 70 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 55 2021 - MLB.com

I doubt if any of these scores went up.  In fact the highest score was run and his multiple injuries have dropped that by a lot.  Until he raises his average by a lot that hit tool is not above 50.  

I don't know if there are new scouting reports, but I think he is below average in a lot of these categories now.  My only hope is that he matures, gets a decent average and power, adjusts to a less demanding defensive position at first base and actually helps the team.

My biggest disappointment so far was the potential to make an impact in the ninth inning and just watching a third strike. 

[Rod Carews Birthday]

Excellent article, but again, the hard work remains.  His trip to St. Paul allowed him to fatten up against lesser competition in an offensively charged environment.  I’m sure that was fun.  Finding consistency with the Twins is going to be much harder than continuing to dominate AAA. I hope he succeeds.  It’s going to take a little while to know for sure.  

[Cris E]

He did tear up St Paul, but there were some underlying hints that he might have been dominating the dojo more than folks may want to admit. Prospect Savant has a page for his 2026 AAA stats and it shows both the awesome success and maybe some lessons not learned.

Red is great and Royce has lots. Golly look at those Exit Velocities. But then go down a bit and you start seeing some cold, hard blue.  Fine, no walks, but who would when you're hitting like this. But then the Chase, the swinging strikes, the contact in the strike zone all below average among prospects.  

I guess I was hoping he'd focus on those things rather than whacking mistakes and feeling better about himself. If you think the latter was the goal of his hiatus well then maybe it helped. But I think he had some real work to do on pitch selection and getting his base settled and this maybe doesn't indicate that all happened.  We'll see. I hope he's better (and not just better than AAA.)

https://prospectsavant.com/player/668904

[thelanges5]

2023 140 OPS+ Royce was super exciting. Not sure we can expect him to be that guy going forward. But if he can be a 110-115 OPS+ guy and play some good defense, I’ll consider that a win.

[Possumlad]

13 minutes ago, thelanges5 said:

2023 140 OPS+ Royce was super exciting. Not sure we can expect him to be that guy going forward. But if he can be a 110-115 OPS+ guy and play some good defense, I’ll consider that a win.

For some reason I think there's a reasonable chance that Royce settles in as a slightly above average big league first basemen for the next 2-4 years. I'm not exactly sure why - just feels right. 

[tony&rodney]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

I really hope he performs well. If he doesn’t he will eventually get non-tendered. If he performs well he is likely to get traded. He can play third base well enough to start there for a different team.

I have long wondered if Royce Lewis might have had or now has more value as a trade piece. Brooks Lee looks far better at third base than Lewis ever did (someone can look up what the various stat sites say about that). I think Lee will also grow as a hitter and his ability to switch hit is an advantage. That takes away 3B from Lewis and he (and his agent) probably prefers the left side of the infield. What is not known at all to me is whether Lewis has any real value for other teams. Certainly there are teams looking for decent production from third base but there is no future in trading Royce Lewis if the return is only a risky lotto pick. So it seems like first base is a good spot for now and if a team (Boston, Milwaukee, ?) is interested they will need to pay with a strong prospect.

Lewis is working hard to correct his flaws at the dish and he can be a key player for the Twins this year. I do wonder about his legs holding up and he seems likely to move on in a couple of years no matter what occurs.  Lewis is under team control for two more years. Next year will not be very expensive. Where does Royce fit? A team might give up a really good prospect if Lewis shows consistently from now until late July. Ironically, Lewis may be most valuable to the future of the franchise in a transaction.

[gman]

32 minutes ago, Possumlad said:

For some reason I think there's a reasonable chance that Royce settles in as a slightly above average big league first basemen for the next 2-4 years. I'm not exactly sure why - just feels right. 

If he can settle in as a average big league first baseman, that'll be better than the Twins have had in 10+ years(?). 

[Coach Wheels]

2 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

I'm pulling for him. 

Royce Lewis being what he is supposed to be... would be a significant boost to our team. 

Royce Lewis being absolutely terrible... would be a tragic blow to our Twins. 

They need him fixed now so we can enjoy it before he reaches free agency. 

I'm also pulling for him, maybe for a different set of reasons.

As a #1 overall pick, if the Twins can't get him right, 50% is on them and a franchise that refuses to engage in free agency in a serious way, cannot blow a #1 overall pick in the draft. 

I believe Royce still has a chance to be that guy, the Twins have control for multiple years, keep coaching him and let him figure it out.

[gman]

The Twins definitely need a lot of help in their lineup. For too any years they have had below hitting batters in the 3-5 spots, let alone the rest of the lineup. 

It wouldn't take too much for him to force his way into the top 3 hitters in the Twins lineup, with Jeffers out until almost August. It would be much better for the Twins if he could force his way into the 3-5 spots in the lineup instead of the 8-9 spots.

[Riverbrian]

23 minutes ago, Coach Wheels said:

I'm also pulling for him, maybe for a different set of reasons.

As a #1 overall pick, if the Twins can't get him right, 50% is on them and a franchise that refuses to engage in free agency in a serious way, cannot blow a #1 overall pick in the draft. 

I believe Royce still has a chance to be that guy, the Twins have control for multiple years, keep coaching him and let him figure it out.

Agreed.

Missing on a high pick isn't good but it can happen and it can also be the individual.

However... when it starts happening frequently and spanning decades. You gotta start looking at the organization. 

The nightmare scenario would be to give up on Lewis. Sell low and have another team fix him and there he is  pounding out a 1,000 OPS with the Yankees. 

I believe they should stick with him until he has decent trade value... but make sure that you have acceptable talent competing for his playing time in case he doesn't get it together.