Royce Lewis Explains Recent Adjustments At the Plate

Royce Lewis appears to have turned a corner for the Minnesota Twins since returning to the team in early June after a brief demotion to Triple-A St. Paul on May 19.

Now, the 27-year-old first baseman has batted .284 while recording an .852 OPS and knocking in 43 RBI.

Lewis' resurgence did not come right away. Lewis would go 0-for-3 against the AL Central rival Kansas City Royals on June 6. Nonetheless, he eventually propelled the team to a 9-8 win over the St. Louis Cardinals six days later, recording two hits and knocking in two RBI.

On Wednesday though, Lewis would be key in securing the Twins' series win over the Baltimore Orioles, going 2-for-5 at the plate and recording two doubles on the night. He also plated a run during the fifth inning with an RBI double that drove in Alan Roden for a 7-4 lead. 

Following the game, Lewis shared how he's built more confidence in himself while modifying his pre-swing loading to enhance his ability to connect with the ball.

"You always appreciate playing good in this game," Lewis said, according to MLB.com. "I used to do this, it felt like every day for a while. And I just lost myself within [listening to] a lot of people. There were just so many things I was trying to do and do right. And now, I just go out there, and it’s not like in a mean way, but just kind of [forget] you guys, just go do your thing. Showing everyone what I can do on a daily basis. Wish I had started the season this way."

Lewis had a similar performance in Monday's opener, going 2-for-4 and drawing a walk. He would also drive in catcher Ryan Jeffers with an RBI single during the eighth for the team's ninth and final run of the game as the Orioles' offense mustered only five.

Moreover, he was instrumental in Minnesota defeating Kansas City on the road 4-3 last Thursday, ending the Twins' scoring drought with a solo home run to left field in the fifth. That hit would also ignite a major spark in the rest of the Twins' lineup as Josh Bell and Brooks Lee strung together a pair of RBI singles in the eighth to seal the Royals' fate. 

Lewis' recent efforts have also garnered praise from manager Derek Shelton who noted his increased ability to lay off pitches and protect the plate.

"He’s taking really good swings," Shelton said. "We’ve talked about it before. We’ve talked about the aggressiveness, we’ve talked about the balls that he’s swinging and fouling off: He’s right on them, and that’s really good to see."

Even when Lewis is not scoring or driving in runs, he has continued to produce and set up the rest of the lineup for key opportunities with a career-high 32 walks, a noticeable improvement from the 25 he drew last season.

Furthermore, he even caught the attention of starting right-hander Zebby Matthews who has compiled a 5.34 ERA and 1.35 WHIP while striking out 77 batters through 91 innings of work.

"It’s awesome," Matthews said. "He’s a centerpiece of the team; a core guy here. He’s awesome. He brings the energy every day. His enthusiasm, his work ethic. So to see him get rewarded like that, it’s awesome, and I hope he keeps it going."

Lewis will be primed for another chance to contribute in Minnesota's upcoming three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies kicking off tonight at 7:30 p.m. EDT as right-hander Taj Bradley takes the mound.