The Minnesota Twins are not off to a hot start this spring, as they're 2-8-1 after Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. However, third baseman Royce Lewis is 2-for-7 with one homer, four RBIs, and one walk over three games thus far.

The 26-year-old hit two sacrifice flies on Tuesday and went 2-for-2 with a solo homer, an RBI single, and a stolen base in a 7-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Feb. 21. He was scratched from the team's matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates on Feb. 26 due to "right side tightness," but his MRI came back clean, per The Athletic's Dan Hayes.

Minnesota needs Lewis to take a step forward this season, as the oft-injured infielder has yet to live up to his draft status. The organization drafted the California native first overall in 2017, but he's only played 100-plus games in a season once and posted just a .671 OPS in 2025.

That's why Lewis' hot start this spring is vital. While it's a small sample size, it's a step in the right direction for a team that needs it.

Lewis isn't the best player on Minnesota, but he's the one who makes the most sense to build around long-term if he breaks out. Stars Byron Buxton and Joe Ryan are already in their primes, and the team is not ready to contend yet. It makes more sense to trade them for young MLB players and prospects to develop for the future with Lewis leading the way. 

Lewis is under team control through 2028, while Ryan has a mutual option for 2027 and Buxton is also signed through 2028. The difference is that Buxton is 32 and Ryan is 29, so they have fewer prime years left than Lewis. 

Of course, that only matters if Lewis plays to his potential in the regular season. Ryan and Buxton were All-Stars in 2025 and are at the top of their games, while Lewis has only shown flashes. The latter player notched a .309 batting average and .921 OPS over just 58 regular-season games in 2023 before tying the Twins' record with four homers in a single postseason, but he's declined since then.

Minnesota has also not made the playoffs since then, and there's no reason to be confident that will change in 2026. If Lewis breaks out, he'll be the obvious leader to build around for the future, and the organization could feel better about trading its two stars before their contracts expire.