So, Royce Lewis Isn't Slump-Proof. Now What?

I don't have the data but it seems to me that much of the team have lost the strength to hit the ball. It just seems like the batted ball speed has decreased dramatically making opponents defense that much easier.

Oh Royce, you never should have said that. I just think he's been in the league long enough now that the pitchers have a book on him. They know how to get him out now and he needs to make an adjustment. He's never had to do that before, because he was never on the field long enough to struggle. I hope he can figure it out, stay healthy and put together a monster season next year. Or, he could refuse to change, continue striking out up and in and flailing at sliders down and away. Baseball is all about adjustment. A new manager and hitting coach sure wouldn't hurt either ....

OK - do others on TD see Royce's feet moving all over the place as the pitch is being delivered, mostly almost in a mini back pedal. Never noticed this until the last couple months. He rarely seems to have a solid base or foundation as he is beginning his swing.  No way he can generate exit velo or consistent barrel contact. 

Used to be we complained that all the Twins hitters were simply swinging for the 3 run HR and lost touch with how else to score runs.

Now, not only don't they know how to generate runs with 'small ball', their power has totally disappeared. Lewis and Miranda aren't going deep anymore. Santana gets one once in awhile but his offense has also shut down. And down the line we go. Wallner will hit one occasionally. Larnach the same. But over the past few weeks, with Twins losing most the time, the hitting has been weak to non-existent. Lewis has been 'discovered' by opposing pitchers and he is merely a shell of what he was. His AB's are hard to watch.

Yeah, he's probably playing hurt...admirable maybe but its not helping the team.

Twins won't survive the week playing like this. There is no magic bullet to prevent days like yesterday when everyone simply didn't show up. The door is still open, but if they can't sweep the lowly 99 loss Marlins clearly they do need to pack up and go home. Anything less than 3 wins will be unacceptable and probably will knock them out of the race.

Seriously though, just when I think a team can't look any worse.....there are my dear Orioles who have purchased their own dumpster for a nice hot fire. Ah, baseball.

Yes, as fans we should be hopeful and positive.....but.....really????

Lewis will be better next year, I hope.  Looks like he needs a little time to get healthy, and some instruction to reevaluate his approach.  I still like his potential, but he looks like he is trying to hit a 5 run homer every time he comes up.  Remember when he used to hit the other way, often with power?  Everything gets pulled now, even trying to pull pitches 6 inches off the plate.  That's a disease that has affected a large number of Twins hitters.

Arrogance has it's price

A lot of whishful thinking - he is hurt - excuses but what you see may be all you will get., at that, at the end of last year and the start of this year, Wallner absolutely stunk, but he went to AAA and improved.

Now he may never be better than a young Joey Gallo but he improved.

Such MAY be the road for Lewis,

58 minutes ago, RpR said:

A lot of whishful thinking - he is hurt - excuses but what you see may be all you will get., at that, at the end of last year and the start of this year, Wallner absolutely stunk, but he went to AAA and improved.

Now he may never be better than a young Joey Gallo but he improved.

Such MAY be the road for Lewis,

 

Joey Gallo had one injury-shortened year where his OPS+ was better than 121.  For his career he's at 109.  Even in his youth when he was hitting 40 homers a year his on base average was miserable.

Wallner has a career OPS+ of 139, and 149 this year.  He's improved a bit, but mostly he is what he has always been despite the many doubters.  Gallo's stat rates are far in the rear view mirror, no matter how much you want to run Wallner down by making the comparison. 

If you don't think Lewis is playing hurt you must not be watching him run this year compared to how he ran in the past.

Just like every young player you don’t know what you have until they get 1000 - 1500 at bats. We will see. And people need to lighten up on his slumps comment. He clarified his statement to say that he doesn’t let slumps get him down like some players not that he won’t experience slumps. 

Next season, we'll get to see if he's learned anything from how things went this season. If he can adjust to the way pitchers adjusted to him. It looks like he was starting to believe all the hype surround his success, and now he found out it isn't that easy. He hasn't really played that much, and he's still young. He's got the skills. If he can stay off the IL for a while, I think he can do it.  

2 hours ago, bean5302 said:

In theory, he could be sent down to AAA, not that he needs it. What Lewis needs is management that supports him, a static position so he can get the repetition he needs to improve and experience.

Not sure why you throw a bit about a mediocre hack like Joey Gallo in here unless you're trolling. In just his first 70 games, Lewis put up as much value as Gallo's 2nd best career season.

Because Wallner's stats look like Gallo, simple as that.

Gallo followed by Wallner

Maybe it’s an injury but it looks to me he’s pressing. Balls he should be hitting to right field hard he’s rolling over or when he does get around on it he’s hitting it weakly to left field. The hit he had in Boston off the monster was exactly what I’m talking about. It was up and away and he managed to get around on it. Anywhere else it’s just another weak flyball to left. Everyone wants to talk about all his power he had last year but does anyone remember what his approach was when he first came back last year? When the Twins were on their way to leading the league in strikeouts he was the one player hitting the ball where it was pitched. He had a complete approach that allowed him to get those middle in pitches. He was a complete hitter in June and part of July. Hitting the ball where it was pitched. Liners to right field when the ball was away. Liners back up the middle. Then when pitchers would come inside then he would show the power putting the ball in the stands. Then against the Astros in the playoffs they started pitching him away away away. Yeah he hit a few but there was quite a few K’s in there. He needs to simplify his approach. He’s either out front in a bad swing position or he’s behind the balls he should be punishing. He’s got all the power still. Just the wrong approach. This was bound to happen and he just needs to work out of it like any young hitter. Just happens to be at the wrong time.

4 hours ago, bean5302 said:

In theory, he could be sent down to AAA, not that he needs it. What Lewis needs is management that supports him, a static position so he can get the repetition he needs to improve and experience.

Not sure why you throw a bit about a mediocre hack like Joey Gallo in here unless you're trolling. In just his first 70 games, Lewis put up as much value as Gallo's 2nd best career season.

Mediocre hack Joey Gallo had more bWAR than Matt Wallner in his age 25-26 seasons. So...what does that make Wallner? 

I fear a lot of you are in for a rude awakening with Matt. He's not as bad as he was in the first couple weeks. But his incredible stretch was driven by a 500 babip. He's going to be playable, but he's not going to be a star with his K rate and poor defense. There will be times he can win the game with his bat. And there will be 3 week stretches where you're cursing his name. 

His career babip is 360. We should not expect that to hold. He's going to hit 235 next year. 

23 hours ago, brycenation said:

OK - do others on TD see Royce's feet moving all over the place as the pitch is being delivered, mostly almost in a mini back pedal. Never noticed this until the last couple months. He rarely seems to have a solid base or foundation as he is beginning his swing.  No way he can generate exit velo or consistent barrel contact. 

His back foot bails out.

1 hour ago, bean5302 said:

Uh, talking about Royce Lewis here. 

I said, Lewis should get the cure that greatly helped Wallner and then you went off on Gallo, whom Wallner is most like.

Que sera, sera.

You trade him, it is that simple .