There’s No Room for Royce Lewis

[Greggory Masterson]

Let’s just call it as it is: It's been two and a half seasons since Royce Lewis was a good major leaguer. On June 22, 2024, Lewis woke up with a .996 career OPS (about 75% better than average) over 346 plate appearances. Since that day, Lewis has a .653 OPS (20% below average) in 1,171 trips to the plate. He has been a well-below-average hitter for more than three times as long as he was an exceptional hitter.

He’s had stretches in which he’s returned to form, including a 32-game (injury-interrupted) stretch in 2025 with an OPS over .900 between May 30th and July 28th, or a stretch between mid-May and early September in 2026 in which he sustained an OPS over .750 for 81 games. But the highs haven’t been high enough, and the lows have been too low for the Twins to count on Lewis as an impact hitter.

And this places both Lewis and the Twins in an awkward spot. Although Lewis is estimated by MLB Trade Rumors to command a modest $5.1 million in his second year of arbitration, his lack of production and the team’s current construction make it difficult to justify keeping Lewis in Minnesota in 2027. Even if Lewis believes his more well-compensated teammates are on the chopping block ahead of him, he may have already played his last game for the Twins.

So, let’s talk about how Lewis fits on the 2027 squad.

Lewis the Starter
Lewis played a career-high 125 games in the majors this season (plus an additional 15 in the minors). He lost the third base job to Brooks Lee, but he saw nearly everyday playing time after being recalled from Triple-A in June, playing 94 of the team’s final 97 games. He primarily played first base, but appeared 16 times at second base and nine times at third.

If the Twins were to run back the 2026 infield in 2027, Lewis would be the top candidate to start at first base on Opening Day, with Kody Clemens slotted in at second. Maybe they’d swap positions. But either way, the Twins probably didn’t have a serious offseason if that’s the case.

For someone who hadn’t played the position before, Lewis adapted well to playing first base, but he’s no Gold Glover there. Nor was he any better than average at second base. He didn’t hit like even an average first baseman, even after returning from Triple-A. Lewis slashed .245/.295/.409 in those final 94 games.

Given the Twins’ current roster (and barring Ryan Jeffers accepting the QO), adding a plus hitter at first or second base is the most straightforward way to upgrade the lineup. Even an anticlimactic addition like Gleyber Torres would be a substantial improvement over Lewis based on OPS alone (.727 last year for Torres compared to .667 for Lewis). It’s hard to justify Lewis filling an everyday role at first or second next season.

Lewis the Reserve
If Lewis shouldn’t be an everyday player, he could fit into a bench role. Or, perhaps, he could be fit into a bench role, whether it makes sense or not.

The Twins have done a poor job in recent seasons constructing a bench with real utility. Gone are the halcyon days of Willi Castro, Kyle Farmer, Donovan Solano, and Michael A. Taylor. Since 2024, the Twins bench has been made of spare parts, filled with redundant, superfluous, or incapable players who met the Walmart greeter standard: they were warm bodies.

Carrying Lewis in a bench role would continue this pattern. Valuable bench players have roles or specialties. Maybe they’re a pinch-running asset, maybe they’re a platoon partner, maybe they can play a difficult-to-defend position like shortstop, center field, or catcher. But they have a real use case. Lewis doesn’t do one thing that lends itself to such a role. He hasn’t played shortstop since playing one inning there in 2023, so the Twins would either need to carry a second bench infielder or stomach Lee being the primary backup shortstop—a difficult proposition, given his struggles there before sliding to third. Although Lewis plays a fine first, second, and third, he’s not good enough at any of those spots to justify being a defensive replacement. Nor has he played any outfield since tearing his ACL in 2022 while playing center field.

Lewis bats right-handed and could be a platoon candidate with an infielder like Clemens, who has historically struggled against lefties (career .627 OPS, 20% below league average). However, Lewis hasn’t demolished lefties in his career, with a .747 lifetime OPS against southpaws, just 8% better than league average. For context, that’s right in line with Austin Martin’s .745 OPS against lefties. Lewis has been a below-average hitter against lefties overall during the past two seasons. He simply doesn’t hit well enough to be a platoon partner.

He has been a good baserunner over the last year or so, making good decisions on the basepaths and going 28-for-31 as a base stealer over the past two seasons, but he doesn’t have the blazing speed you’d want from a dedicated pinch-runner. So, overall, Lewis has a middling-at-best bat that doesn’t offer a real platoon advantage. He has defensive flexibility, but you don’t love him at any position, and he doesn’t play shortstop. He runs well, but not enough to be a basepaths weapon. He does a bit of everything, just not terribly well.

There is a role like that. You’re more likely to see it from a fourth outfielder than a fifth infielder, but there are plenty of guys around the league who are just a half-step worse than a traditional everyday player but can give several players a day off a week. Think 2019 Marwin Gonzalez, if Lewis was willing and able to play the corner outfield spots as well (which is questionable).

But Gonzalez was a better hitter and fielder than Lewis has been over the last three seasons. It seems the more thought that goes into Lewis on the 2027 roster, the more it feels like we’re trying to find a way to make Lewis useful to the team, rather than including him because he’s actually useful. Really, the only way that he makes sense as an addition is if there's a real chance he can get closer to the player he was in his first 80 or so games, and it's quite easy to be skeptical of that. It's probably easier to be skeptical than optimistic there.

Especially if Lewis is unable to play in the outfield, the Twins would need to flank him on the bench with a shortstop, a catcher, and probably another outfielder (likely Alan Roden or Emmanuel Rodríguez). Lewis would be the team’s primary bench platoon bat, and he’d probably play three or four times a week, giving players days off at the three non-shortstop spots with questionable production.

It really seems like there’s a better way to build a roster than to shoehorn Lewis into one of the valuable 13 hitter spots. His admittedly modest $5.1 million estimated salary can probably be spent more efficiently at that.

Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

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[DJL44]

For that same money in free agency you could find someone who hits lefties better, but they will be a DH. You can find someone who fields better (Isaiah Kiner Falefa) but they won’t hit. Or they could just keep Royce.

[HrbieFan]

IMO he gets one more shot with the Twins. We are most likely moving on from Larnach, Jeffers, Martin and Bell. The Twins will not pony up for Bauers and the other available FA 1B all have massive warts too. Lewis has done more than Roden, yet so many on here love him for some reason. 

I am fine rolling out an IF of Lewis, Clemens, Pepper and Lee. Bring back Kreidler and Keaschall can fill in for emergencies. One guy I will keep an eye on next spring is DeBarge. He is a lights out defender, can that bat play in the bigs? 

[TL]

This article really sums it up well - it’s a conundrum. I am 51% leaning toward keeping him just due to the fact I don’t want to see him find it again in another uniform. I wonder if it depends on whether they retain Jeffers. If not, then they may pivot to a bigger (and more consistent) bat at 1B/2B and Lewis won’t have a spot.

[DJL44]

4 minutes ago, HrbieFan said:

One guy I will keep an eye on next spring is DeBarge. He is a lights out defender, can that bat play in the bigs? 

His bat hasn’t been good enough for Double-A yet.

[Reptevia]

Agreed. 

[Nashvilletwin]

Top three reasons to move on from Lewis:

1. He just cannot hit well or consistently enough to justify being a starter, particularly at a plus hitting position like 1B or DH.

2. His backup positional flexibility is limited and he does not have one or two particular above average skills to be a niche utility player.

3. As much as the organization and the fans wanted Royce to be the next face of the franchise after Buxton, that never materialised and that ship has now sailed.  There are several new and more qualified candidates to fill that role.

The single only reason to keep Lewis: Royce said it himself - he’s relatively inexpensive for a cheap team.

If the Twins are at all serious about building a competitive roster, Lewis has to go.

But Royce should welcome the opportunity to start fresh. At this point, he is no longer considered to be a probable part of the next core for the Twins.  It’s way better for him to start anew to build his MLB career.  

[strumdatjag]

There is no downside to having Royce Lewis at Spring Training trying to earn a position on the roster (if there is a Spring Training in this year of likely labor strife).   The Twins have time to decide if he is worthy of remaining on the team.  

[tarheeltwinsfan]

This is a sad article to read because it accurately describes a major league player who has not met the tremendous expectations which he expects of himself and that the Twins, and we, placed on him. I am sure no one is more frustrated about this dream deferred than Royce Lewis. I wish him well, either with the Twins or another major league team. I do enjoy his enthusiasm, but he seems to have his blue periods too.

[mikelink45]

This is the Twins - wait and see. 

[Peter Gravett]

33 minutes ago, TL said:

This article really sums it up well - it’s a conundrum. I am 51% leaning toward keeping him just due to the fact I don’t want to see him find it again in another uniform. I wonder if it depends on whether they retain Jeffers. If not, then they may pivot to a bigger (and more consistent) bat at 1B/2B and Lewis won’t have a spot.

Does Royce still have options? Being sent down certainly woke him up for at least a while last year...

[awmonahan]

100 percent agree. Also, I don't think it is particularly helpful to have him around. His understanding of himself, his limitation, and what he can do for the team are generally too far from reality. It creates unnecessary tension. He needs a change of scenery trade. 

[mluebker]

How many times have the Twins given Royce Lewis one (more) last chance to succeed and been disappointed? He’s shown us who he is time and time again. Maybe the potential we’ve heard about for years really exists, but if so, the Twins haven’t been able to figure out how to unlock it. They’ll be doing everyone a favor if they trade him, move on, and wish him and some other team the best of luck in finding the real Royce Lewis.

[Linus]

I think the article describes this situation quite well. If you bring Royce back as a starter you are not serious about winning or rebuilding. He’s not an ideal bench option because he’s a mediocre fielder anywhere you put him. You could still bring him back in a bench role on one condition: the brain wizards in the FO believe they can still unlock his bat. Probably unlikely since it hasn’t happened yet but stranger things have happened. 

[stringer bell]

Starters aren't written in stone. Check out the March/April lineups the Twins produced in 2026. I'm fine with Lewis being carried as a non-starter to start the season and it is pretty likely that he would get his last chance as a regular player due to injury or ineffectiveness of a player who is thought to be a "starter".

[nova_twins]

Lewis needs a change of scenery. I don't see how the Twins can bring him back. 

Even if they did, and he was a little better, then what? Maybe he gets close to be an average first baseman? Then gets more expensive next year? And his injury history is still a huge risk. 

Everything with Lewis and the Twins is downside. Just time to move on. 

[Coach]

40 minutes ago, Peter Gravett said:

Does Royce still have options? Being sent down certainly woke him up for at least a while last year...

Off the subject, Peter did you grow up on Berkman Ct.?

[MackMan]

Lewis is a AAAA player similar to Rooker a few years ago. Dude rakes against AAA pitching, but cannot figure it out against MLB pitching. I say he comes into ST with the understanding that he is fighting for a spot on this team. If he loses out, he gets DFA'd. Plain and simple. He has shown us who he is. He's a below average hitter who is a ball player from the neck up. 

The issue is we don't have any internal candidates to fill the 1B position and the FA class isn't strong enough to warrant an offer for them. Not to mention that the lockout is about to happen which puts another wrench into things as there has been 0 known movement of the Twins signing anyone worthwhile. 

[mluebker]

4 minutes ago, MackMan said:

I say he comes into ST with the understanding that he is fighting for a spot on this team. If he loses out, he gets DFA'd.

I say trade him ASAP for whoever useful they can get, save everyone another Lewis-centric ST, and give him a chance to get used to his new team before the season starts. But if no one is interested, DFA him now.

[old nurse]

Taylor was Buxton insurance, necessitated by Lewis’ inability to play CF. Solano was merely adequate. Farmer had an abysmal second year to go with his merely adequate first year If Lewis has to meet their standard it is not all that high of bar to pass.  He is close enough to keep at his price tag. Note that the team retained nether of them. The standard for the team appears to be higher than a blogger for Twins Dailey. Whoever would have thought that.  

[old nurse]

Fangraphs has Lewis listed as having 2 option years. If the Twins decide to keep him I would hope they offer him a split contract.  Play well you stay, don’t, you are Wallnered 

[Greggory Masterson]

1 hour ago, strumdatjag said:

There is no downside to having Royce Lewis at Spring Training trying to earn a position on the roster (if there is a Spring Training in this year of likely labor strife).   The Twins have time to decide if he is worthy of remaining on the team.  

The downside to this is probably that he’s going to be making a few million in arbitration (MLBTR estimates 5.1M). When budgeting for a roster, it’s possible that that 5.1M can be better spent elsewhere

[bean5302]

I read so many articles predicated upon rolling the same high floor low ceiling rosters back out. I don't see how Royce Lewis is a concern. Doesn't have a lot of trade value. Shouldn't be guaranteed a roster spot. Doesn't project as a major contributor. Yet, he's a major focus of Twins writing while other articles try to find ways the future of the team can be left off the roster.

The Twins are indecisive with this incompetent front office. The team needs to sign probably 5 quality free agents (not 1.0 WAR full time guys) to raise the ceiling to 95+ wins. Not raise the floor to 70 wins.

If Royce Lewis is a big part of the conversation, the season is already looking like a failure.

[Major League Ready]

I could see keeping Lewis as a bench player but they can't claim to be serious if they don't add a significant bat at either 1B or 2B.   That sends Lewis to the bench would be OK given he can play 3 INF positions but he is not above average at any of them.  His wRC+ for the last two seasons is 85.  Same as Kreidler.  How is keeping Lewis an asset to improving this team?  Try to trade him and non-tender him if you can't get that done by the non-tender deadline.

[4twinsJA]

Good teams move on from players like Lewis and let teams like the Twins pick him up and hope he finally puts it all together.

[JBK]

It seems the more thought that goes into Lewis on the 2027 roster, the more it feels like we’re trying to find a way to make Lewis useful to the team, rather than including him because he’s actually useful.

That sums him up.

[ashbury]

The team has to decide his value as a trade chip versus his value if they keep him and he can raise his game.  If they give him another year and he scuffles again, his trade value will be gone.  If he still has a ceiling approaching what he once had, he could be a huge contributor.

But I doubt his trade value right now is very high anyway.  At this point and lacking their in-house information, I'm inclined to keep him and try one more time to unlock the talent he seemingly had.

[Cris E]

Lewis and Clemens have the same skill set. They are exactly redundant. The difference between them is that Clemens stays healthy, and he has delivered 27 HR, and he wasn't drafted in the first round and he hasn't hit seven grand slams.  Which is to say Royce has extra expectations on him that make him look and feel like a bigger failure than he is. 

Alas we only need one corner infield guy, and I would choose the one who actually hits.   Lewis can sit in St Paul  and rake until we trade him or Clemens gets injured. But mostly he doesn't get hurt so I expect another team with a 3B hole to take a flyer on a talent like Lewis. 

[Richie the Rally Goat]

4 hours ago, DJL44 said:

For that same money in free agency you could find someone who hits lefties better, but they will be a DH. You can find someone who fields better (Isaiah Kiner Falefa) but they won’t hit. Or they could just keep Royce.

The same article could be written for Austin Martin.

The challenge is, if you might as well just keep Lewis and keep Martin, how do you actually get a better team?

[DJL44]

Just now, Richie the Rally Goat said:

The same article could be written for Austin Martin.

The challenge is, if you might as well just keep Lewis and keep Martin, how do you actually get a better team?

You add a starter that pushes those guys to the bench or AAA. Adding a different bench role player is just rearranging the deck chairs as the Titanic sinks.