Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis has turned his season around.
Royce Lewis has had an eventful first few months of the 2026 season with the Minnesota Twins.
Entering this year, he was expected to take a step forward. In his first relatively healthy season last year, he was not able to produce, posting a sub-.700 OPS for the first time in his career after previously not having to worry much about his offensive output.
There was not a ton of pressure on Lewis to perform given the state of Minnesota's roster entering the season, and he figured to have a long leash even if his struggles continued. However, that was not the case given just how poorly he performed and how he had become a clear liability at the plate.
In May, he was hitting just .105 with a .186 on-base percentage and .318 OPS over 11 games, prompting the Twins to send him down to Triple-A to hopefully figure things out.
He did exactly that. Lewis was recalled June 6 and has not looked back since. Entering Saturday, he had posted a .364 batting average, .400 on-base percentage, 1.082 OPS, two home runs and three RBIs in six games, showing he has turned his season around and is hopefully here to stay.
However, the numbers are not the only aspect of his game that has changed. Twins fans have also noticed Lewis implemented a new step in his approach at the plate. He now lifts his back leg slightly while the pitcher winds up before placing it down and incorporating a leg kick with his front leg. It is a minor adjustment, but it is noticeable and clearly working.
When asked about the change, Lewis said it is a product of recent drill work that he is implementing into his game, according to Dan Hayes of The Athletic.
Given how much effort Lewis is putting in, the hope is that this version of him is here to stay. The Twins have so much belief in him and have invested so much in his development. After all, he was the first overall pick in 2017 and has spent his entire career with the organization.
It is unclear if this hot streak can solidify him as a core piece of the future, and his overall numbers on the year still need plenty of work. But for a player who has dealt with as much adversity as Lewis has throughout his career, both on the field and with injuries, this kind of stretch is exactly what Minnesota has been waiting for.
