An Honest Royce Lewis Discussion

[Vanimal46]

The season concluded now and these are his MLB stats for 2026:

124 starts - 509 PA - .227/.287/.380 for a .667 OPS. 15 HR - 57 RBI - 16 SB. 82 games at 1B, 37 games at 3B, 15 games at 2B. 

He’s not a kid anymore. Certainly not someone who can be lumped into the Culpepper, Jenkins, Keaschall, E-Rod, Gonzalez era of young Twins players. 

At this point, I don’t know if all of his injuries has permanently lowered his ceiling. Maybe he’ll have a year again where he’s an 800+ OPS guy down the road…

That being said, I can’t envision keeping him beyond this season. Keeping him means dedicating additional time for him to become a league average 1B. Or a below average 3B. 

I cheered for him when he came back from AAA and lit it up in May and June. The lows are outweighing his 4-6 week hot streaks. 

[TheLeviathan]

It's time to move on.  I keep pitching a swap with him and Henry Davis on Pittsburgh.  

Find somewhere for him that isn't here, he needs a change.

[Cory Engelhardt]

I can very much see a scenario where he is kept as a utility guy to start the season off the bench. Then if he performs, great. If he doesn't, easy to move on. But with his talent/potential, I have to think the 5 million or so he is set to make wouldn't be spent on a better backup 1b/2b/3b. 

I mean, they kept Larnach a year longer than I would have guessed.

I can't see a scenario where he is handed the starting 1B job right now today. No chance. I also can't see a scenario where he is handed the starting 2B job today. But as the 11th man on the roster, with a chance to always hit his way into more of a role and earn it, sure.

 

But if a true clean slate is better for both sides, so be it.

[strumdatjag]

Royce Lewis has showed flashes of star-quality play.    When he is hot, his attitude is infectious by and can carry the team.  
Royce’s trade value is low.  He still could be that much needed right-handed power bat in the line-up.  He currently plays at 1B and 2B, which are positions of need for the Twins. 
It’s obvious, bring him to Spring Training to compete for a job in a final “prove-it” season.  

[Mike Sixel]

I'm ready to move on. If you can get a former top, likely injured pitching prospect, I'm so in. 

He's been bad for three seasons. Cut bait. Roden, Keaschell, other can try first next year. 

[stringer bell]

My hopeless faith is almost gone. That was a lyric from a song, I think. That said, I'm not ready to non-tender Lewis or trade him for a suspect. He does need to further adjust his approach as a hitter--slap some balls to right field and then take advantage of hanging breaking balls and batting practice fastballs.He played two unfamilar positions and looked decent at both and offered value on the base paths.

I said when Lewis returned from the minors that with all of the moving parts in his hitting, he would be prone to slumps and that proved to be true. I don't know if it also might have been exacerbated by fatigue in playing the longest season he has played, but I wouldn't discount that.

This may be all he is capable of, and if so, it's not enough to be a full-time major league player making eight digits a year. I still think there is more there that can be tapped, but the numbers say he has plateaued a a less-than-average hitter playing at positions where much more offense is expected.

[Permanent Twins Fan]

1 hour ago, strumdatjag said:

Royce Lewis has showed flashes of star-quality play.    When he is hot, his attitude is infectious by and can carry the team.  
Royce’s trade value is low.  He still could be that much needed right-handed power bat in the line-up.  He currently plays at 1B and 2B, which are positions of need for the Twins. 
It’s obvious, bring him to Spring Training to compete for a job in a final “prove-it” season.  

Agree. I think you give Royce one more year in a lesser role and maybe bring in a free agent 1st baseman as a back-up plan. He did show some potential this year at 1st base and going 15-15 is nothing to be ashamed of. It is really sad, though to see someone who we thought was going to be the guy leading the Twins to championships struggling so much. 

[jaimedude]

This Lewis topic has been beat to death. Let the guy rest without people talking about him for one offseason. 

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

On 9/29/2026 at 12:45 PM, jaimedude said:

This Lewis topic has been beat to death. Let the guy rest without people talking about him for one offseason. 

I agree, but there won't be many other things to talk about during this potentially stagnant off-season.

[Brock Beauchamp]

I've been done with Lewis for awhile now, though I understood giving him another legit shot in 2026. It's time to move on.

[wesnewy]

He has been carried by the promise of a #1 overall pick and the 2023 post season. Hopefully that carries him to a new team. I was a Royce truther for a long time, but it's time for the twins to move on.

[bean5302]

Time to move on. He's not going to be productive with the Twins.

[SteveLV]

I would let him compete in ST for a R-handed platoon bat at 1B and 2B to offset Clemens.  If he stinks, send him on.  But the days of 5-600 AB's are gone.

[Mike Sixel]

12 hours ago, jaimedude said:

This Lewis topic has been beat to death. Let the guy rest without people talking about him for one offseason. 

I don't understand this post. He's either your starting 1B or not. And you think we shouldn't discuss that? Also, I doubt he needs us not to talk about him to get rest?

[Mike Sixel]

2 hours ago, SteveLV said:

I would let him compete in ST for a R-handed platoon bat at 1B and 2B to offset Clemens.  If he stinks, send him on.  But the days of 5-600 AB's are gone.

2.5 years of data isn't enough, but a handful of spring training at bats are?

[MackMan]

I've been saying for 2 seasons now we need to cut our losses with him. He's been average to below average for longer than that. He had his hot streak of a year in 2023 and when in AAA this past season. He needs to be moved to a less critical role or non-tendered and potentially brought back on a minor league contract with an invite to ST. Let him fight for his spot back in the lineup and prove that he's the player we drafted him to be. 

He has too many moving parts in his swing. There is very little stability in his legs when swinging. It is very clearly evident in this swing that there is too much instability from his back leg with his swing. That instability caused massive slumping toward the end of the year and most of the season. 

[C-Gangster]

He has the potential. He always has we don't get rid of him he's a leader does well of the feild and is solid hitter and is certainly not as old as you guys are saying. He has more years on his contract and his value is at a all time low. I don't understand how people were all with him when he got moved to 2nd base but now want him gone if we want a better more improved team we have to stick with him. At points he has been top 3 in the leauge in OPS and war.

[C-Gangster]

9 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

I've been done with Lewis for awhile now, though I understood giving him another legit shot in 2026. It's time to move on.

Were not gonna get anyone better, he his our clear and best option for the 2027 season. It's unrealistic to move on he has more years on his contract and his trade value is at a all time low.

[Mike Sixel]

10 minutes ago, C-Gangster said:

He has the potential. He always has we don't get rid of him he's a leader does well of the feild and is solid hitter and is certainly not as old as you guys are saying. He has more years on his contract and his value is at a all time low. I don't understand how people were all with him when he got moved to 2nd base but now want him gone if we want a better more improved team we have to stick with him. At points he has been top 3 in the leauge in OPS and war.

He's been 15% below a league average hitter for 2.5 years. How is he a leader? Which player is playing better because of him? 

[stringer bell]

I think Lewis will have to win a spot in ‘27. His performance the last three years is not good enough to have earned a starting position. If he makes the roster, he’ll get chances whether he’s a starter or not.

Gleeman and the Geek suggested that he ran out of gas after playing close to a full season. Maybe so, but the numbers are the numbers and he was a below-average hitter for the third year in a row. 

[bean5302]

2 hours ago, C-Gangster said:

Were not gonna get anyone better, he his our clear and best option for the 2027 season. It's unrealistic to move on he has more years on his contract and his trade value is at a all time low.

Lewis is my favorite Twins player, but sorry, he's not going to be successful "here." Can't be giving replacement level production an every day job.

[MGX]

In the last two seasons he's been given 912 PA's & produced an 85 OPS+ & an 86 OPS. In other words he's been well below average. Oh by the way Ryan Kreidler produced an 85 OPS+ this season & he's a good defensive SS. No way should Lewis be a starter on this team any longer. I'm not even convinced he should make the team.

[Tlaker]

Cut bait! Only wish he was half as good as Royce thinks he is…..

[Tlaker]

17 minutes ago, MGX said:

In the last two seasons he's been given 912 PA's & produced an 85 OPS+ & an 86 OPS. In other words he's been well below average. Oh by the way Ryan Kreidler produced an 85 OPS+ this season & he's a good defensive SS. No way should Lewis be a starter on this team any longer. I'm not even convinced he should make the team.

I don’t follow or care about analytics….. after watching MLB for 60 years….. the only thing that matters is the eye test and he doesn’t pass any test on the field which is more important than a damn spreadsheet 

[Tlaker]

Never mind 

[MackMan]

19 hours ago, Mike Sixel said:

He's been 15% below a league average hitter for 2.5 years. How is he a leader? Which player is playing better because of him? 

I mean to be fair, he does make Clemens look better...He does make some of our backups look better. Maybe this is the club's plan all along. Set the baseline with Lewis. Those that perform better, stay, and those that are lesser, go

[djvang]

He just strikes me as a phony. Which I could overlook if he would produce consistently. Which he doesn't.

[DJL44]

16 hours ago, Tlaker said:

I don’t follow or care about analytics….. after watching MLB for 60 years….. the only thing that matters is the eye test and he doesn’t pass any test on the field which is more important than a damn spreadsheet 

The only thing Lewis passes is the eye test. He’s a good athlete who makes the plays on defense and hits bombs when he connects. That’s why he keeps getting more opportunities.

[nova_twins]

Literal 0% chance Lewis is on the Twins next year. Everyone can move on. 

[RpR]

23 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

The only thing Lewis passes is the eye test. He’s a good athlete who makes the plays on defense and hits bombs when he connects. That’s why he keeps getting more opportunities.

His defense off of Third has improved. Not many games but he did well at Second Base.