An Honest Royce Lewis Discussion

[RpR]

52 minutes ago, djvang said:

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

If he tried hitting like Arraez, he could be good.

[Whammy]

I've been fully supportive of all of the chances he's gotten. I've fought back the haters when Royce has one of his "oh that's so Royce" quotes. But for me, he's run out of chances. He just hasn't been good enough. I think he could be a really good defensive 1B, but nothing I've seen from him recently makes me think he can be offensively average at 1B over the course of a season.

I DO believe that he could be a productive part of a successful 26-man roster, but I don't trust the Twins to act clear-headedly when it comes to Royce, so I'm ready to move on. 

[MackMan]

29 minutes ago, nova_twins said:

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

Sadly, the FO isn't just gonna do that because he was the #1 overall pick. What I think is going to happen, is that he going to have to battle for the right to have a spot on the 26-man roster. Now to your point, he may never be on the team when the regular season rolls around. I could see the Twins DFA'ing him, and he okaying being assigned to AAA, and potentially sticking it out until an eventual injury to a player happens and he is forced to be selected to get called up. But realistically, I just see his future with the Twins post 2026. 

[mrmpls]

18 hours ago, Tlaker said:

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

thats the issue --  headcase

[nova_twins]

4 hours ago, MackMan said:

Sadly, the FO isn't just gonna do that because he was the #1 overall pick. What I think is going to happen, is that he going to have to battle for the right to have a spot on the 26-man roster. Now to your point, he may never be on the team when the regular season rolls around. I could see the Twins DFA'ing him, and he okaying being assigned to AAA, and potentially sticking it out until an eventual injury to a player happens and he is forced to be selected to get called up. But realistically, I just see his future with the Twins post 2026. 

Rest easy, there is literally a 0% chance, I promise. If I'm wrong I'll donate $100 to your favorite charity and post the receipt along with an apology. 

[Vanimal46]

5 hours ago, RpR said:

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

Bravo. You might be the best troll this website has ever seen. A daily hater of Royce Lewis for years and now you’re on his side. Why? Because he’s about to be a veteran on this team? 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

On 9/29/2026 at 5:46 PM, stringer bell said:

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. 

If the guy can’t play a full season at first base because he ran out of gas, all the more reason to move on.

[C-Gangster]

52 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Bravo. You might be the best troll this website has ever seen. A daily hater of Royce Lewis for years and now you’re on his side. Why? Because he’s about to be a veteran on this team? 

So people on this site can't change opinions. You sound like the troll now. Royce Lewis is our clear option for the 27 season. This shouldn't even be a topic of conversation.

[Vanimal46]

1 hour ago, C-Gangster said:

So people on this site can't change opinions. You sound like the troll now. Royce Lewis is our clear option for the 27 season. This shouldn't even be a topic of conversation.

Going off of your thumbs downs on this thread you can’t accept any criticism about Royce. My reply to rpr goes much deeper in time than simply Royce… But I will bite my tongue now to save the PM warnings sent. 

[USAFChief]

I could get behind the idea of Lewis as a utility player. 

But I don't think he's worthy of occupying a full time spot. 

[C-Gangster]

15 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Going off of your thumbs downs on this thread you can’t accept any criticism about Royce. My reply to rpr goes much deeper in time than simply Royce… But I will bite my tongue now to save the PM warnings sent. 

My fault, Vanimal. I definitely misread your point and took the Royce stuff too personally. Definitely don't want any mod trouble for either of us, so let's call it a truce. My apologies for the troll comment

[Vanimal46]

8 hours ago, Whammy said:

I've been fully supportive of all of the chances he's gotten. I've fought back the haters when Royce has one of his "oh that's so Royce" quotes. But for me, he's run out of chances. He just hasn't been good enough. I think he could be a really good defensive 1B, but nothing I've seen from him recently makes me think he can be offensively average at 1B over the course of a season.

I DO believe that he could be a productive part of a successful 26-man roster, but I don't trust the Twins to act clear-headedly when it comes to Royce, so I'm ready to move on. 

God dang it… I wanted his June-July resurgence to be the real Royce again. Unfortunately he got more lost at the plate than he did before he got sent to St Paul in May. 

[Riverbrian]

How about we ask him to earn his playing time in 2027. He isn't just handed it. How about we ask him to actually earn it in 2027. Instead of utilization that suggests he is irreplaceable.

How about we don't put ourselves in the position of having nobody else this year, He was 2nd in AB's post all-star break with a .639 OPS and he gets to walk past the lineup card because he knows he's on it. He knows he's on it because there is nobody else. We could have moved Clemens back to 1B but then we have nobody to play 2b because Keaschall is now an OF. And Caratini at 1B with his post all star break .461 OPS was worse. So... everyday Royce. Nobody to challenge him. was much much worse. 

Our infield depth sucked last off-season and we attacked that depth problem with Kreidler, Gray and Arcia with huge question marks with Lewis, Lee and Keaschall. Our we going to do that again this off-season or will this be the year that the front office understands that Lee, Culpepper, Clemens and Lewis may not be the set and forget infield they think it is. Something could be a .639 OPS out of that bunch, someone could get hurt for significant time and we don't have the depth to compete with them.

Lewis can compete for playing time with Brooks, Cody and whoever the 1B one year lower tier free agent we sign this year for 7 million dollars like we have done every year since Mauer retired. 

Ask him to earn it. Don't just give it. 

 

 

[stringer bell]

2 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

How about we ask him to earn his playing time in 2027. He isn't just handed it. How about we ask him to actually earn it in 2027. Instead of utilization that suggests he is irreplaceable.

How about we don't put ourselves in the position of having nobody else this year, He was 2nd in AB's post all-star break with a .639 OPS and he gets to walk past the lineup card because he knows he's on it. He knows he's on it because there is nobody else. We could have moved Clemens back to 1B but then we have nobody to play 2b because Keaschall is now an OF. And Caratini at 1B with his post all star break .461 OPS was worse. So... everyday Royce. Nobody to challenge him. was much much worse. 

Our infield depth sucked last off-season and we attacked that depth problem with Kreidler, Gray and Arcia with huge question marks with Lewis, Lee and Keaschall. Our we going to do that again this off-season or will this be the year that the front office understands that Lee, Culpepper, Clemens and Lewis may not be the set and forget infield they think it is. Something could be a .639 OPS out of that bunch, someone could get hurt for significant time and we don't have the depth to compete with them.

Lewis can compete for playing time with Brooks, Cody and whoever the 1B one year lower tier free agent we sign this year for 7 million dollars like we have done every year since Mauer retired. 

Ask him to earn it. Don't just give it. 

 

 

Couldn’t agree with you more @Riverbrian! Unlike Luke Keaschall, Brooks Lee and yes Kody Clemens, Lewis has not earned a roster spot and playing time for 2027. I am pretty confident that if Lewis makes the team he’ll get opportunities somewhere (1st, 2nd or 3rd) to show he belongs. Maybe his competition is Alan Roden or Keaschall or maybe it’s someone brought in, but making him earn his chances should be the proper course. Ty France came back from near oblivion to be a top 10 first baseman this year, maybe a 27-28 y.o. Royce can make the adjustments to do something similar. 

[NYCTK]

13 hours ago, USAFChief said:

I could get behind the idea of Lewis as a utility player. 

But I don't think he's worthy of occupying a full time spot. 

A utility guy that is made of glass and plays mediocre defense, what's not to like?

[NYCTK]

2023 was an incredible year for him, but ever since he told the media he doesn't do that whole slump thing he's been one of my least favorite Twins ever. Sorry man, you don't get to run your mouth constantly as if you're a star and proceed to put up a 650 OPS over the next 2.5 years.  

Bye Royce, don't let the door hit you on your way out. Good luck in the KBO. 

[Riverbrian]

1 hour ago, stringer bell said:

Couldn’t agree with you more @Riverbrian! Unlike Luke Keaschall, Brooks Lee and yes Kody Clemens, Lewis has not earned a roster spot and playing time for 2027. I am pretty confident that if Lewis makes the team he’ll get opportunities somewhere (1st, 2nd or 3rd) to show he belongs. Maybe his competition is Alan Roden or Keaschall or maybe it’s someone brought in, but making him earn his chances should be the proper course. Ty France came back from near oblivion to be a top 10 first baseman this year, maybe a 27-28 y.o. Royce can make the adjustments to do something similar. 

I will continue to contend until those cows come home. 

Everyday playing time is earned. We had two players earn every day playing time last year. Buxton and Jeffers. Buxton gets hurt from time to time and Jeffers plays a position where every day playing time is not possible.

Keaschall was earning every day playing time in the back half of the year. The front half... he was not. 

Lewis earning every day playing time? Not even close going on. We are going on two years of nearly 1,000 AB's of below average play and there is nobody to challenge him. Nobody in the farm system that they are willing to even entertain as possible of hitting .690 OPS with opportunity. 

This is roster construction that completely ignored the possibility that Royce wouldn't hit or stay healthy. That Lee wouldn't grow or stay healthy, that Keaschall didn't pull a sophomore slump or couldn't field his position or stay healthy.  

I'm praying that this season the front office takes depth seriously and acquires a 1B that pushes Lewis to needing to earn his playing time. Makes him fight back with the skills that were promised to us. And a SS capable infielder that can step in should Culpepper get hurt or struggle badly. We need to legitimately push the incredible averageness of this team and quit settling for it and acting like they have to play every day.  

Otherwise... we can all sit back this year and watch them make the same mistake over and over. 

[nicksaviking]

Royce's hot and cold streaks line up pretty much exactly with the Twins hot and cold streaks. I think the Twins will be much better next year, so I see the argument for keeping him, on the other hand, having a guy who will be absolutely no help pulling the team out of a funk isn't a great fit for a mid-market team that's not already loaded with stars. 

So if they trade him, just don't trade him to a good team. Or if they do, just be ready to accept there's a really good chance that he will make the team look bad for doing so.

[Whammy]

1 minute ago, nicksaviking said:

Royce's hot and cold streaks line up pretty much exactly with the Twins hot and cold streaks. I think the Twins will be much better next year, so I see the argument for keeping him, on the other hand, having a guy who will be absolutely no help pulling the team out of a funk isn't a great fit for a mid-market team that's not already loaded with stars. 

So if they trade him, just don't trade him to a good team. Or if they do, just be ready to accept there's a really good chance that he will make the team look bad for doing so.

There are players who get moved on from maybe a little too early and I worry will come back to make the FO look silly and be deserving of blame. The difference in my mind with Royce is that he's gotten, if anything, more chances than he's earned. Could he go somewhere and play awesome? Sure. But that would never result in me being like "what the hell was the FO thinking?" 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

5 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

How about we ask him to earn his playing time in 2027. He isn't just handed it. How about we ask him to actually earn it in 2027. Instead of utilization that suggests he is irreplaceable.

How about we don't put ourselves in the position of having nobody else this year, He was 2nd in AB's post all-star break with a .639 OPS and he gets to walk past the lineup card because he knows he's on it. He knows he's on it because there is nobody else. We could have moved Clemens back to 1B but then we have nobody to play 2b because Keaschall is now an OF. And Caratini at 1B with his post all star break .461 OPS was worse. So... everyday Royce. Nobody to challenge him. was much much worse. 

Our infield depth sucked last off-season and we attacked that depth problem with Kreidler, Gray and Arcia with huge question marks with Lewis, Lee and Keaschall. Our we going to do that again this off-season or will this be the year that the front office understands that Lee, Culpepper, Clemens and Lewis may not be the set and forget infield they think it is. Something could be a .639 OPS out of that bunch, someone could get hurt for significant time and we don't have the depth to compete with them.

Lewis can compete for playing time with Brooks, Cody and whoever the 1B one year lower tier free agent we sign this year for 7 million dollars like we have done every year since Mauer retired. 

Ask him to earn it. Don't just give it. 

 

 

How many roster spots should you devote to role players? There’s half the lineup that needs to prove it, and three quarters of the bullpen.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

58 minutes ago, Riverbrian said:

I will continue to contend until those cows come home. 

Everyday playing time is earned. We had two players earn every day playing time last year. Buxton and Jeffers. Buxton gets hurt from time to time and Jeffers plays a position where every day playing time is not possible.

Keaschall was earning every day playing time in the back half of the year. The front half... he was not. 

Lewis earning every day playing time? Not even close going on. We are going on two years of nearly 1,000 AB's of below average play and there is nobody to challenge him. Nobody in the farm system that they are willing to even entertain as possible of hitting .690 OPS with opportunity. 

This is roster construction that completely ignored the possibility that Royce wouldn't hit or stay healthy. That Lee wouldn't grow or stay healthy, that Keaschall didn't pull a sophomore slump or couldn't field his position or stay healthy.  

I'm praying that this season the front office takes depth seriously and acquires a 1B that pushes Lewis to needing to earn his playing time. Makes him fight back with the skills that were promised to us. And a SS capable infielder that can step in should Culpepper get hurt or struggle badly. We need to legitimately push the incredible averageness of this team and quit settling for it and acting like they have to play every day.  

Otherwise... we can all sit back this year and watch them make the same mistake over and over. 

And now that I read this post, I see as usual, you and I are in agreement. If only had kept reading instead of knee jerk reacted

[Riverbrian]

Just now, Richie the Rally Goat said:

How many roster spots should you devote to role players? There’s half the lineup that needs to prove it, and three quarters of the bullpen.

If I had my way. 

No roster spots would be used on role players. None. Zip... Zero.

A role player by almost everyone's definition is a role player because they are not what they need to be and therefore not capable of replacing someone who needs replacing and the only thing we know is that someone is going to need replacing. 

None... Zip... Zero. 

[Riverbrian]

18 hours ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

And now that I read this post, I see as usual, you and I are in agreement. If only had kept reading instead of knee jerk reacted

Next year... If we forget about potential unidentified additions to it for just a second. 

As the Roster Stands right now. We have the opportunity to roster Buxton, Keaschall, Jenkins, Erod and Roden or Wallner in the OF... Or even Larnach if you'd like.

These are solid options with legimate depth. If any of them go Cal Raleigh on you... you have options, choices who can pick up the ball and run with it. If anyone gets hurt... I don't know... like Byron Buxton for example. You have options, choices who can pick up the ball and run with it. 

How can we **** this up? 

It will be incredibly easy to mess this up and also probable that it gets messed up.

Here's how:

Decide that the left handed hitters in the outfield room can't hit left handed pitching.

That decision alone will kill the OF depth. That decision alone will remove talent from the roster and replace it with role players like Martin and Gonzalez.

Your team is weaker and you have removed your insurance from injury or bad performance. Martin is the replacement for the injury when it occurs and it's going to occur. Martin is the guy you turn to when Erod or Jenkins has a .570 OPS in June. 

The infield has no such thing. Just Lewis, Clemens, Culpepper and Lee. Hope Lewis can shake off this 1,000 at bat below average hitting ability. Those 4 are 162 game necessary because the depth isn't there. 

[SteveLV]

If I squint hard, I could see carrying Lewis as the 1B/2B platoon against LHSP's.  

[C-Gangster]

5 hours ago, NYCTK said:

2023 was an incredible year for him, but ever since he told the media he doesn't do that whole slump thing he's been one of my least favorite Twins ever. Sorry man, you don't get to run your mouth constantly as if you're a star and proceed to put up a 650 OPS over the next 2.5 years.  

Bye Royce, don't let the door hit you on your way out. Good luck in the KBO. 

:Least favorite Twin ever" because he said he doesn't believe in slumps? He’s confident, man. He’s had terrible injury luck, and yeah, the numbers dropped, but treating a guy who gave this fanbase some of its best modern memories like he's absolute garbage is wild behavior. You'll be the first one cheering when he bounces back. "Good luck in the KBO" might legitimately be in the  top 10 most ridiculous things I've ever heard and that's pretty bad.

[C-Gangster]

4 hours ago, Richie the Rally Goat said:

How many roster spots should you devote to role players? There’s half the lineup that needs to prove it, and three quarters of the bullpen.

This is pure panic talking. If half the lineup and 75% of the bullpen truly "needed to prove it," this team would have lost 100 games. It was a frustrating year, but completely nuking the depth chart because of a bad stretch is how you end up in a perpetual rebuild

[stringer bell]

6 hours ago, NYCTK said:

2023 was an incredible year for him, but ever since he told the media he doesn't do that whole slump thing he's been one of my least favorite Twins ever. Sorry man, you don't get to run your mouth constantly as if you're a star and proceed to put up a 650 OPS over the next 2.5 years.  

Bye Royce, don't let the door hit you on your way out. Good luck in the KBO. 

There's an underlying current in the Lewis critics that not humble enough or has an attitude problem or something. I guess after all the adulation he received for starting with great success, it kind of makes sense. Maybe I don't pay enough attention to off-field comments or read enough into them, but it isn't like he's a constant distraction or that he's in trouble with the law. He looks like he fits in with his teammates. I don't see a character or attitude problem.

The performance hasn't matched the hype or the pedigree. That is fact. The three and four year old heroics are a long time ago and there aren't a lot of signs that he will find it again. 

 

1 hour ago, C-Gangster said:

:Least favorite Twin ever" because he said he doesn't believe in slumps? He’s confident, man. He’s had terrible injury luck, and yeah, the numbers dropped, but treating a guy who gave this fanbase some of its best modern memories like he's absolute garbage is wild behavior. You'll be the first one cheering when he bounces back. "Good luck in the KBO" might legitimately be in the  top 10 most ridiculous things I've ever heard and that's pretty bad.

.If he wasn't a #1 overall draft pick and hadn't broken in with a splash, he probably wouldn't get as many chances as he already has. Somewhere upthread somebody said he should hit more like Arraez. I think he should hit more like Kirby--use the off field, make contact but punish mistakes. Nah, he won't do it as well as a Hall of Famer, but it might raise his numbers enough to be a major league regular.

[NYCTK]

2 hours ago, stringer bell said:

There's an underlying current in the Lewis critics that not humble enough or has an attitude problem or something. I guess after all the adulation he received for starting with great success, it kind of makes sense. Maybe I don't pay enough attention to off-field comments or read enough into them, but it isn't like he's a constant distraction or that he's in trouble with the law. He looks like he fits in with his teammates. I don't see a character or attitude problem.

The performance hasn't matched the hype or the pedigree. That is fact. The three and four year old heroics are a long time ago and there aren't a lot of signs that he will find it again. 

 

.If he wasn't a #1 overall draft pick and hadn't broken in with a splash, he probably wouldn't get as many chances as he already has. Somewhere upthread somebody said he should hit more like Arraez. I think he should hit more like Kirby--use the off field, make contact but punish mistakes. Nah, he won't do it as well as a Hall of Famer, but it might raise his numbers enough to be a major league regular.

Yeah. The degree to which Royce was coddled here is why he's my least favorite. Far from the worst Twin. But speaking about him honestly in 2024 through early 2026 earned massive, confusing pushback.

Now that he's being viewed honestly, I'm of the opinion that the Twins shouldn't rely on him, but may very well carry him an additional year just because they have nowhere better to turn. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

 

4 hours ago, C-Gangster said:

This is pure panic talking. If half the lineup and 75% of the bullpen truly "needed to prove it," this team would have lost 100 games. It was a frustrating year, but completely nuking the depth chart because of a bad stretch is how you end up in a perpetual rebuild

The AL ended the season with 6 teams at or above .500 record, Houston won its 81st game on the last game of the season or the winner of the Al west would have had a losing record, and there were no teams with a winning record that missed the post season.
 

Historically bad. Astoundingly the As managed to lose 100 in the West where there was no team with a winning record!

Jenkins, Rodriguez and Culpepper must be given a full season leash, but are rookies who are by very nature unproven.

Roden is just shy of 27 he’s an unproven post hype

Clemens is a 30 year old utility player who had his first very good full time utility player season. Color me skeptical 

Martin is 27 below average hitter, poor fielder small side of the platoon

Larnach is 29 an average hitter (best season of his career but still not good for a platoon who cannot hit lefties) is a terrible fielder

Alex Jackson passed through waivers 3 times in a year.

Lewis is 27, hasn’t had a good season in years and is a terrible fielder.

that right there is 9 of 13 position players who played significant portions of this season and have a very good chance for next season, 

Buxton if healthy, very confident in being a great hitter, hopefully the hip allows for fielding in the outfield.

Keaschall if they can figure out where he’s not a liability with the mitt, I’m confident he can hit.

Lee has been consistently ok as a third baseman who doesn’t hit enough

Caratini, I’m confident he sucks

Kreidler, I’m confident he sucks too

100 is league average not adjusted for position.

Hoffman is legit confidently real good

Minter is 35 and gone

Funderburk is reliable

Rojas should be stretched out to the rotation

all the rest of them suck horribly

[Riverbrian]

14 hours ago, C-Gangster said:

This is pure panic talking. If half the lineup and 75% of the bullpen truly "needed to prove it," this team would have lost 100 games. It was a frustrating year, but completely nuking the depth chart because of a bad stretch is how you end up in a perpetual rebuild

I'd think 100% of the roster has to prove it.