Is This the End of the Road for Royce Lewis as a Minnesota Twin?
As Lewis continues his inconsistent career, the Twins must determine if their former No. 1 overall pick has a future with the club.
Minnesota Twins infielder Royce Lewis took the hard road to the major leagues. A top draft pick and a coveted prospect, his path has been blocked by a pandemic, severe injuries, several operations, and a question about his character.
Lewis always fought back and persevered, showing flashes of greatness when healthy. But after two down years of offensive production and an unsettled defensive posture, the Twins are left wondering if it’s time to cut the cord on Royce’s tenure in Minnesota.
Royce Lewis and His Potential
It all started out so promising for Royce Lewis. He was a California high school phenom at JSerra Catholic in San Juan Capistrano.
In his junior season, he was named Los Angeles High School Player of the Year after batting .429 for the Lions. That summer, he was named MVP at the Under Armour All-American Game at Wrigley Field and the Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park.
Lewis raised the bar in his senior year when he was named California’s Baseball Gatorade Player of the Year in 2017 after batting .377 with 25 stolen bases. After graduation, he signed a letter of intent to attend the University of California, Irvine on a baseball scholarship.
But the Twins came calling when they selected Lewis with the first overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft.
Early Success and Time Missed
Lewis was very successful in his first year in professional baseball. Between the Twins’ Rookie League team and the Cedar Rapids Kernels Low-A franchise, he hit .279 with 27 RBIs and 18 stolen bases.
He stayed hot during the 2018 season, hitting .315 with nine home runs and driving in 53 runs in 75 games with the Kernels. Royce was named the MVP of the Midwest League for his efforts.
He was promoted to the Fort Myers Miracle High-A team, where he knocked in 21 runs in 46 games. Around this time, MLB named Lewis the 10th-best prospect in baseball.
He continued his surge in 2019, splitting his time between the Miracle and the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos. Over 127 games for both teams, he produced a slash line of .236/.290/.371, belting 12 homers and stealing 22 bases.
Then Lewis experienced two lost seasons. The 2020 minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And on Feb. 24, 2021, he was diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee, which necessitated season-ending surgery.
However, even though he was injured, he was promoted to the Twins’ 40-man roster at year’s end.
Lewis Heads to the Majors and Experiences Highs and Lows
Lewis made his MLB debut on May 29, 2022. But his playing time was cut short when he re-tore the ACL in his right knee, which required season-ending surgery.
He displayed his greatness in the 2023 season, hitting four grand slams throughout the campaign and setting a Twins record. And after a stint on the injured list, he was activated for the Twins’ playoff run, where he hit four homers to tie a club record.
Injuries would limit his playing time to 82 games in 2024, and he produced a disappointing slash line of .233/.295/.452. The 2025 season brought more of the same, as he suffered hamstring strains that forced him to miss 56 games. Once again, his production suffered as Lewis hit .237/.283/.388 in his second consecutive disappointing season.
To compound matters, because of his injuries, he was moved from shortstop to third base, second base, and even DH. When Lewis started the 2026 season ice cold at the plate, the Twins had no choice but to send him to the Triple-A St. Paul Saints on May 19 for some rehab work.
A Glimmer of Hope and Then Mediocrity
Lewis brought with him a positive attitude when he arrived in St. Paul. And he immediately went to work, demonstrating to the Twins that he still had the fire in his belly. He tore up International League pitching to the tune of 10 home runs, 22 RBIs, and a slash line of .333/.403/.900 with an OPS of 1.303.
You’re not going to keep him down on the farm with those numbers. Sure enough, the Twins recalled Lewis back to the bigs on June 6. And for a while, it appeared that the spark was back.
In June, he hit .279 with five homers and 10 runs driven in. Since then, he is batting .242, and his OBP and slugging percentage have been trending down each month.
His stolen bases dwindled, and he continues to strike out at an alarming rate. Lewis is serviceable at first and second base. But with Kody Clemens, Luke Keaschall, and possibly Kaelen Culpepper, the Twins have a glut of players destined for the defensive right side.
What’s Lewis’ Future with the Twins
The Twins were hoping that Lewis would finish 2026 strong, bolstering his confidence heading into the 2027 season. But he injured his shoulder in a game against the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday. And although he is back in the lineup, it is another reminder of his fragile state.
The Twins’ front office has much work to do this offseason in light of another disappointing finish to a season. The future of their former No. 1 overall pick will be among the toughest decisions the team will face in the ensuing months.
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