Story by
Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
Is Royce Lewis still part of the Twins’ plans?
- Story byPioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
- Is Royce Lewis still part of the Twins’ plans?
Editor's Note: This is the third story in a five-part series examining some of the biggest questions facing the Twins this offseason.
In the waning days of their season, the Twins got a good look of what the position-player core of their team could look like. Kaelen Culpepper, 23, Emmanuel Rodriguez, 23, and Walker Jenkins, 21, all ascended to the big leagues, joining a group that already featured Luke Keaschall, 24, and Brooks Lee, 25. Those five look like pillars for the Twins in 2027 and beyond
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But what about Royce Lewis?
Drafted first overall in 2017, Lewis was supposed to be a featured piece of the Twins' roster for many years, and despite injuries he swung a big bat in his first fitful stints in the big leagues — he hit .307 with 17 home runs, 57 RBIs and a .930 OPS in his first 70 major league games.
But that offense has tailed off. He's hit .232 with a .689 OPS in the three seasons since then, the strikeouts have piled up (284 in 313 games) and he lost his third base job to Lee.
So, what about now? Is Lewis still in the Twins' plans?
Injuries hampered Lewis early in his career as he dealt with consecutive anterior cruciate ligament tears in his right knee. In recent years, he has battled a number of soft-tissue injuries that have kept him off the field for long stretches.
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He was mostly healthy in 2026 and that was an important step forward, but still, the results weren't what they needed to be. His performance led to a May demotion to Triple-A St. Paul during which he tore the cover off the ball, hitting .333 with 10 homers and 22 RBIs in 15 games before being recalled and spent the rest of the season in the majors.
"If you fail that first math test, it's hard to bring your grades back up to an 'A'," Lewis said on the final day of the 2026 season. "You're never as bad as you think you are. You're never as good as you think you are. There's times where I felt like I was doing pretty bad, but they showed me some stats — 'Hey, you're hitting the ball harder. You're actually walking at a higher rate.' This is the stuff they wanted me to do."
Lewis finished his season slashing .227/.287/.380 with a .667 OPS and an 86 OPS+, the final number 14 percent lower than league average. The stats were generally in line with last season's — and yet a sharp drop from what the Twins saw from Lewis early in his career, when he showed flashes of the potential that made him the No. 1 overall pick.
While he looked good immediately upon his return from Triple-A, Lewis had a deep slide during the final weeks of the season.
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All told, Lewis played 140 games last season, more than he had ever played in a professional season, and the most since he played 127 minor league games in 2019. That alone, general manager Jeremy Zoll said, "Is a big accomplishment for him."
"His performance on the field, obviously, had ups and downs, and I think for Royce that's just a matter of being more consistent over longer stretches," Zoll added. "We hope to find a way to help him be the impact player that has shown (up) at various points along the way."
On the last day of the season, Lewis hit his 15th home run of the year, which drew an excited response from him as he rounded the bases. Paired with his 16 stolen bases, he had just completed what he said center fielder Byron Buxton had called a "junior 30-30."
"If I could do a junior 30-30 when I'm playing (like) that — what I feel like is one of my worst seasons — then what do you think is going to happen when I'm starting to play good?" Lewis said.
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There is also the question of finding him a position. When he was sent down, the Twins shifted Lee from shortstop to third base, where he was good enough to earn a Gold Glove Award nomination and solidify himself at the position.
Lewis moved primarily to first base upon his call-up to the majors, learning the position on the fly during the middle of the season. He also played some second. If he returned, it would seem he'd see most of his playing time on the right side of the infield.
Lewis, who has two more seasons of team control, is arbitration-eligible and is due around $5.1 million, per Major League Baseball Trade Rumors' estimate. But coming off two down years offensively, the Twins could also explore trading Lewis and upgrading their lineup at first base.
With Josh Bell, who played some first at the beginning of the year before playing primarily as the designated hitter, a free agent, and catcher Ryan Jeffers likely departing in free agency, the Twins will need to find offensive production somewhere, and first base is usually a place to find it.
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Lewis, 27, believes there's more he can do there, but will the Twins bring him back to find out?
"I see myself as a Twin for a lot longer than … what, I have two more years? Yeah, I see my Twin (career) for a lot longer than that," Lewis said. "This group is so good, and I'm still very young. This is technically still my prime."
