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Royce Lewis Put in the Work This Offseason
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- Royce Lewis Put in the Work This Offseason
Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
There was a time Royce Lewis was among the most exciting prospects in baseball. Topping out as a consensus top 10 talent prior to the 2019 season, he had plenty of fanfare prior to joining the Minnesota Twins.
Unfortunately injuries have become as synonymous for his career as the big grand slams have. Last season he dealt with hamstring issues , and played in just 106 games. While that was a career-high, it came with a career-low 83 OPS+ .
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Looking to right the ship and to get back to his 2023 level of production, Lewis made two significant changes this offseason.
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MN Twins star changes workout plan
We have seen all sorts of offseason workout programs over the offseason. Former Minnesota Twins pitcher Jose Berrios was famous for showcasing his routine while home in Puerto Rico. This offseason Royce Lewis changed up his blueprint and turned to the advice of agent Scott Boras.
"Boras, every time any injury or anything would come up, he's like 'I'm trying to tell you, you weren't hurt when we were working with you.' He's always been reeling me back. I made that transition, and it's just more powerful, more explosive, more volume."
One such change that Lewis made to his routine was adding in squats. Betsy Helfand (Pioneer Press) noted it had been since at least 2018 or 2019 since Lewis had utilized the lift, but it's an intentional focus Boras suggested to strengthen his legs.
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While the lower body injuries hampered Lewis last year, it makes sense that he would target to strengthen his lower half. The entire hitting process starts from the ground up, and even beyond the injuries, his overall production can improve by making an intentional strength changes.
Should Lewis be healthy, a return to high-level production seems logical. As the every day third baseman, he could play more than 140 games and should best the .237/.283/.388 slash line he posted a season ago.
Royce Lewis hires hitting coach preparing for MN Twins rebound
If the Minnesota Twins are going to be good, it will be because the offense has carried their weight. The starting rotation should be good, and the bullpen has made intriguing additions . Players like Royce Lewis need to come correct offensively, and the third baseman brought in help to fix things this winter.
"It was recognition (of needing a constant voice) and the recognition I felt like I didn't have the answer for myself. Your athleticism and talent can only take you so far in this game. You need some of those mechanical adjustments, those coaches to lean on to help out. … I haven't seen any of the effects yet, obviously. It'll take some time. When I started doing stuff, it almost felt like I was hitting left-handed. … It's almost so dumb-foundingly simple, but more mechanical. I've never been like that."
Talking to Dan Hayes (The Athletic) Lewis acknowledged the hiring of a personal hitting coach. He has made the connection between his personal coach and newly hired Twins hitting coach Keith Beauregard as well. This is a young talent that seems to have taken a significant level of intention to his continued development.
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Beyond just the hitting coach addition, Lewis leaned on former teammate Carlos Correa. That seems somewhat surprising given the relationship the two seemed to share in Minnesota, but give it to Lewis putting aside past differences and diving in.
Perhaps even more surprising than hiring a hitting coach, Lewis said he stayed at the home of former teammate Carlos Correa every time he traveled to Houston. Lewis made six trips to Houston during the offseason and hung out with Correa, who was critical of the work habits of Lewis and other young Twins players in 2024.
"This offseason was my favorite," Lewis said. "I got to hang out with Carlos Correa again and his kids. We played a lot of Mario Kart. He makes the best food of all time. I've got to put that on the record. He's the best chef."
No longer a young kid, Lewis will be 27 years old this season. He's under team control for just three more years, and he certainly has his eyes set on being more than the player he has been thus far.
If the changes made this offseason translate to regular season success, Minnesota Twins fans should expected something closer to the postseason superhero than they have seen on a consistent basis at any other point. Maturation comes in different forms and timelines, but we may have turned an integral corner for 2026.
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