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By now, we know that Royce Lewis will not be ready for Opening Day after suffering an injury late in camp. After Brooks Lee had spent all of the spring competing to take over second base, he may now see significant time at the hot corner. Given Lewis’s repeated injury struggles and Lee having already proved himself capable of manning the position, would the Twins be better off viewing Lee as the long-term third baseman for the franchise?
The thing about the battle for second base this spring is that someone (potentially multiple players who deserve an extended look at MLB action) was going to miss out. Now, Lee will surely make the roster to pick up some of the recently opened playing time at third base (around and in addition to Jose Miranda), and a huge opportunity has presented itself to players like Mickey Gasper and Edouard Julien at second. Top prospect Luke Keaschall could force his way into the mix before long, too.
Some things have to go right, such as Lee performing offensively and someone grabbing the reins at second base, but if all is going well when Lewis is ready to return, it could create some difficult questions regarding the future of third base.
Lee is a versatile player, but it would be nice to see him settle into a primary position long-term. Because of his defensive prowess, there are several possibilities. He was slated second base this spring because that’s where the opportunity was when everyone was healthy. After another Lewis injury, however, that situation has changed. It’s fair to wonder whether the organization will feel they can continue to wait and invest so much hope in Lewis, or whether they need to amend their approach.
It’s impossible not to feel for Lewis. The former No. 1 overall pick has been through the wringer physically, with two ACL tears snowballing into repeated soft-tissue injuries as he’s reached the MLB level. His athleticism has predictably declined, causing a move from shortstop to third base, where less range is required.
Lewis played in 82 games last year, his most in a single season since 2019. By the end, he was clearly on his last legs, posting a .602 OPS from Aug. 1 forward. It was the first time he had struggled at the plate while on the field for the Twins, which may add another layer of difficulty to trusting him to fill a bulk of the playing time at third base over the coming years.
While Lee has struggled with injuries of his own, he profiles as an everyday player given his balanced plate approach and ability to hit from both sides. The offensive upside he showed at St. Paul didn’t translate to the MLB last year as a 23-year-old, but he did show that he can more than handle the position defensively.
There’s an argument to be made that as Lee tries to adjust to MLB pitching, having a more settled defensive home could give him less to work on. He’s likely to be the backup shortstop, the position still he’s played since college, but having to shift to third base unexpectedly every season likely isn’t doing him any favors. He had made just seven appearances at third base before 2024 and logged more innings there at the position at the MLB level last year than the rest of his professional career combined. Even for a mature and developed prospect like Lee, it’s a lot to put on his plate. Because the angles and timing of plays are different at each spot around the infield, a player without a fixed position must take daily reps at each spot to which they might be called—which comes at the cost of things like reps in the batting cage, extra preparation in meetings, or precious rest.
In terms of how a full-time move to third base for Lee would affect Lewis, it’s more of a hypothetical question. Unfortunately, at this point, it’s difficult to ask where he will play when he comes back and is 100% healthy, because there’s no telling when that will be—or, more importantly, how long it will last. It’s a harsh reality that the Twins may have to begin planning for, as a competing team can’t continue to have to patch together a premium position for more than half of every season.
If Lewis does return sometime around May, he’ll likely see plenty of days off and some time at DH. He’s still certain to see some time at third base, but expecting him to play there regularly for the remainder of the season simply cannot be the plan. While Lee is capable of being completely moved off of third base at that point and adequately filling in elsewhere, there’s an argument to be made that this wouldn’t be the best course of action for him or the team.
The unpredictability of baseball will have a lot to do with how the Twins proceed. Both the health and performance of all players involved in this equation will help guide their decision-making, but it may be time to start considering whether Lee is the third baseman of the future. Lewis still possesses an elite level of talent, but when it comes to being the trusted long-term third baseman, Lee might be the best option. Do you agree?
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