A personal visit from manager Derek Shelton sparked Royce Lewis's belief and excitement for the Twins' future.
The Minnesota Twins finished the 2025 season with a 70-92 record, ending up in fourth place in the American League Central, but there's a new sense of hope building in the organization heading into 2026.
Just days after Derek Shelton was introduced as the 15th manager in franchise history, he hopped on a plane to Dallas to meet with third baseman Royce Lewis in person rather than just picking up the phone like he did with most other players.
The gesture clearly had a major impact on Lewis, who opened up about the meeting in a recent interview with The Minnesota Star Tribune.
"He started off by saying, 'I just want to let you know how much we care about you, how important you are to this organization. It seems like we've heard you thought otherwise, so we want to make sure that's not the case here. That's why I flew out to see you in person rather than over the phone,'" Lewis said. "That definitely was the case, so it really meant a lot to see him."
What Shelton Brings to Minnesota
Shelton spent six seasons as the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2020 to 2025 before being let go in May, and while his record of 306-440 doesn't look great on paper, many believed he was dealing with a roster that simply didn't have enough talent to compete.
Before taking over in Pittsburgh, Shelton served as the Twins' bench coach in 2018 and 2019, so he already has a connection to the organization and knows what Minnesota is all about.
The 55-year-old manager brings a wealth of experience as a former hitting coach for both the Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Rays, and he's already making it clear that building relationships with his players is a top priority.
His decision to visit Lewis, along with trips to see Byron Buxton in Florida and Ryan Jeffers in North Carolina, shows that he understands how important it is to connect with his core players on a personal level.
Lewis Has Superstar Potential
There might not be a player who controls the Twins' upside for 2026 more than Lewis, the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft.
The 26-year-old third baseman had a difficult 2025 season, hitting just .237 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI in 106 games while posting career lows in on-base percentage (.283) and OPS (.671).
But the talent is obviously there for Lewis to become one of the best players in the game. Back in 2023, he slashed .309/.372/.548 in 58 games and was slugging .685 in 23 games before the All-Star break in 2024, showing flashes of what he's capable of when everything clicks.
Shelton himself has said publicly that Lewis has a chance to be a superstar, and keeping him healthy and confident is the key to unlocking that potential.
Lewis admitted that last season was tough on him mentally because he felt uncomfortable at the plate and didn't always feel like he was valued by the organization, but meeting with Shelton gave him a much-needed confidence boost heading into the new year.
The fact that his new manager flew across the country just to have lunch with him at a barbecue place near the Dallas airport showed Lewis that the Twins truly believe in him and want him to be a cornerstone of their future.
If Lewis can stay on the field and get back to the player he was in 2023, the Twins could be a much different team in 2026 than the one that finished 22 games under .500 last season.