Image courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
Royce Lewis is one of the most pivotal players of the current core. He’s also, unfortunately, one of the most difficult players to predict. This is true for his play on the field, and for his overall mindset and how he shows up to the media through his comments. He’s capable of being a team leader, an offensive force, and a building block for the next several years. But, it’s also possible that Lewis’ tenure with the Twins could be winding down. How did we get here, and is it possible that frustration has led to his sharp decline?
As Lewis was coming up through the minors, he was known for being a consummate professional and for being profoundly positive. This showed up through his comments after suffering his second torn ACL in as many years, when he told Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com: “I learned that every time I get put down, I come back stronger. So, why would I not bet on myself? … I don’t think there’s anything that can really stop me, to be honest.” Fans saw it through his infectious grins in postgame interviews after hitting yet another grand slam. The Twins saw it through his ability to carry the team on his back and to change the outcome of games — over and over again. He was joy incarnate.
Then, sometime around August of 2024 (you know, right around the time the Twins began their epic collapse down the stretch to miss the playoffs after having better than 90% odds to make them), something changed. This change showed up in the box scores, in his comments, and in his demeanor. All of a sudden, it appeared that Lewis was no longer having a good time. He admitted as much during a slump this season, telling Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic “I’m tired of being the one who’s being bullied and picked on by this game. Whether it wants me to suffer on the offensive side or when I’m going hot, it just wants to kick me out with an injury. Seems like it’s picking on me at this moment, so I’m waiting for one of my friends to pick me up and stop this bully.” This is a moment of self-reflection, where it was clear that he was feeling a certain way about his travails at the plate, and about his health.
Of course, Lewis has also made a number of comments that look outwards rather than introspect. Over the span of roughly a year, Lewis has made not-so-subtle digs at established veterans on the team, telling Bobby Nightingale of the Star Tribune during a rough patch of play, “It kind of falls on, obviously, the players. But I didn’t realize it was just on us. Now I know that we’re going to carry a lot of the load, especially the young guys – the cheap guys is the best way to put it”. This was shortly after Carlos Correa made comments about younger players needing to put in the work to perform. There are hints that there was some ongoing friction between the two.
Of his struggles at the plate, Lewis griped about the MLB arbitration system, telling Dan Hayes, “It’s also hard to make a full in-season adjustment because you can try that, and those 30 games or at-bats of trial go toward your stats. Do you really want to sacrifice that?” He added, “Being under contract probably helps because he knows what he’s making that year and the year after. For someone like me, I’m fighting (to take] care of myself and my family. I don’t want to put any of those stats in jeopardy.” Of course, this also reflects a communication gap between Lewis and the coaching staff.
He further hinted at frustration with the coaching staff when he told Dan Hayes “I’ve become more results-oriented because of how we run things here. I’ve prided myself on understanding that (good process is) OK. But this year it seems like if I don’t – or anybody in general – (they’re) quick to pull the trigger on you. I’m trying to do my best to get some balls to fall, and when that doesn’t happen, you’re just like SOL.”
In any light, these comments aren’t great. Worse, while he was saying those things, dating back to August 13th of 2024, Lewis has a .619 OPS, good for a wRC+ of just 71, or nearly 30% worse than an average hitter. Some of this was just plain bad luck; he had long stretches where he was BABIP’d, similar to what fans saw from Griffin Jax when things weren’t going quite right. But, beyond that, he just looked lost, and frustrated.
Okay. So, putting all this together, he was frustrated with Baldelli, who is now gone. Remember that frustration with Matt Borgshulte’s coaching approach? He’s also gone. The highly paid veteran who wasn’t performing to his contract value but calling out the young guys? Now playing in Houston, and doing a bit better. The arbitration system hasn’t changed, but hey, there will be a new CBA in just over a year (if we are lucky). Anything is possible.
Now, it’s entirely possible that Lewis was projecting some frustration he feels about his contributions and inability to rediscover the hitter he was for his first full season or so towards others around him. That would be a very human thing to do. Anyone with his promise, and skill should be immensely frustrated after seven IL stints in four seasons limit them to just 132 career games. Who wouldn’t be annoyed when they feel like no matter what they try at the plate, nothing works? When a budding superstar identifies that they may not be on that path any longer, a certain amount of irritation should be a given.
And to his credit, down the stretch in the 2025 season, as he was hitting a bit better and running with abandon on the bases, he seemed more like himself — the high-energy, bubbly, charismatic presence we all saw in the beginning. This hints that just maybe, if Lewis can find a stretch of success at the plate and feel set up for success and valued at the same time, it could be a game changer for him.
So, is this in the cards? Well, maybe. Fast forward a bit, and Dan Hayes reported that Lewis was blown away by Derek Shelton’s approach in his brief time in role. Lewis said: “We started off building a really good relationship. He told me I was important to him and our organization. I told him at points last year I didn’t feel like that. It was really important to me to feel that kind of confidence. I told him that part of me is a little bit of a wide receiver mentality, to where I need to be talked to and just told what’s going on, what the plan is for myself, for the organization, and to be involved just a little bit.”.
That’s a start. Maybe, possibly, some of these changes in personnel will be exactly what Lewis needs to be the best version of himself. Perhaps feeling more connected to his manager will help him minimize emotion-based slumps. Maybe having strategy and approach explained in a slightly different way will connect with him, and he will feel more comfortable making tweaks and trusting they will work for him. Hopefully, we will all see a return to form in 2026, and Lewis will be a happy warrior at the plate, hitting endless grand slams, and carrying the offense for stretches of time. If so, the upcoming season just might have some real promise. On the other hand, unfortunately, if these things don’t cause a shift, or if that shift doesn’t sustain…well, then, his time as a part of this core is likely coming to an end as the next wave of top prospects approaches the majors. It seems that Lewis is aware of this as well.
Hopefully 2026 brings Royce Lewis joy, and a return to the path he was on just 15 months ago.