Royce Lewis is a freak. He put up historic numbers during the first year and change of his big-league career, and the raw production came with huge hits in key moments; playoff heroism; and no small dose of swagger. Lewis oozed confidence up there. He owned the box, and even the opposing pitcher seemed to know it. Certainly, Lewis himself did.
You'd feel that way, too, if you were capable of maintaining a sequence of movements that unlocks devastating power without sacrificing feel for contact—one most of your cohort finds impossible to emulate, because it's complex and difficult. Lewis attacks the baseball in a two-phase move, with a step forward before the pitcher goes into his delivery, then a traditional leg lift and stride.
This move is a cousin to one Nolan Arenado cultivated early in his career, with the Rockies. Arenado would stomp his back foot as the first move in his load, to ensure that his weight didn't get stuck on his back foot. The back-foot stomp forces you to get both halves of the body moving, and unleashes a torrent of energy into the ball. Lewis's almost tentative-looking pre-stride step does the same thing, by drawing him forward, forcing him to lean back into his back leg and hip, and then letting the rest of his power flow as he picks up the front foot again for the real leg kick.
He can generate as much force on a line to the ball, with as much upward plane through the hitting zone, as hitters like Justin Turner do with much larger leg kicks. There's a rhythm to Lewis's moves that creates bat speed without undue loading of the hands or tipping of the barrel. It's all that that permitted him to bat .304/.367/.588 in 338 plate appearances from the start of 2023 through the 2024 All-Star break, despite multiple injuries.
So, what went horribly wrong?
If you're a Caretaker, scroll down for the rest of your exclusive content! And if you're not, maybe consider becoming a Caretaker? The best reason is it just feels good to support something you love, and you want it to be there for the next generation.
Plus, there are many other benefits, like a free Winter Meltdown ticket and early access for guests, special callouts on the site, and lots more inside or in-depth content like this. So please consider joining our little club. The money goes to a site you love, to support coverage you love, and to writers you value. Thank you so much.
We love providing this level of deep-dive coverage, but it's expensive - too expensive to be paid for just by internet ads. So, we reserve the rest of this story for the Caretakers that make this kind of coverage possible.
It may be time for you to become a Caretaker. You'll love it. You'll get more meaty stories like this, plus perks like Winter Meltdown tickets and other special recognition. And you can join for as little as $4/month. You can read all about it and sign up here.
The rest of this deep dive content is only available to Twins Daily's Caretakers. Our Caretakers take care of the site, and in return, we take care of them. That includes us investing in deeper dive stories, free Winter Meltdown tickets, acknowledgment in the forums, and other perks.
If you visit Twins Daily often, consider joining our Caretakers. We would love to have you join our little club, and you'll love being a part of it, too, and not just for the perks. Just click here to get started.
We have arrived at the point of the content where things get a little meatier, but that content is reserved for Twins Daily Caretaker’s eyes only. Creating deep-dive stories like this is too expensive to be supported by ads alone, so we limit it to those Caretakers who support the site.
Fear not: You, too, can become a Caretaker for as low as $4/month. In addition to reading more in-depth stories like this, you get free Twins Daily publications, Winter Meltdown tickets, and other special recognition. Just start here.
The 22-year-old went 2-for-5 on Friday night, his fourth straight multi-hit game. Heading into the week, he was hitting .246/.328/.404 (.732). Four games later, he is hitting .303/.361/.447 (.808).
.png.22e58bbb74b57d463cac99703186d00d.png){kind=icon}
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now