As Royce Lewis Heats Up, Twins Need Him Batting Behind Byron Buxton

Lewis has smacked nine homers in his last 16 games. It's time to put him behind Buxton in the lineup.

Jun 10, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Minnesota Twins first baseman Royce Lewis (23) celebrates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers in the second inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

If the Minnesota Twins are going to be at their best, they'll need to have Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis hitting next to each other in the batting order.

Lewis slugged a 444-foot homer in Minnesota's 6-4 win over the Tigers on Wednesday night. It was his first homer in his fourth game since being recalled from Triple-A St. Paul, where he spent a few weeks after being demoted.

Rock n Royce!!! pic.twitter.com/pNHfq8lvfX

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) June 11, 2026

In 12 games with the Saints, Lewis smashed eight homers and drove in 19 runs. He hit the ball like the superstar he's supposed to be. The former No. 1 overall pick (2019) just hasn't been able to sustain his incredible skills for more than a few weeks at a time in the big leagues. But if he ever puts it all together, Lewis and Buxton could form one of baseball's best offensive duos — and they should be hitting next to each other on a daily basis.

Instead, the Twins have plugged Lewis into the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth spots in the order all season. He's batting sixth three times, seventh 11 times, eighth 13 times, and ninth eight times. That's fine when he's not clicking, but when he's on a tear, he needs to be batting second, third, or fourth.

In four games since being recalled, Lewis is 4-for-15 with a homer and a double. He's also struck out just once and walked twice. In 16 total games since his demotion, Lewis is 18-for-53 with nine homers, four doubles, 20 RBIs, seven walks, and 13 strikeouts.

"The whole game. I'm going to be honest. I'm just getting my swings off, swinging at good pitches. I'm being selective up there. It's nice," Lewis told Twins TV's Audra Martin when asked if he's feeling like himself again.

Royce Lewis met with Audra after tonight's win in Detroit!

You heard Royce, send Buck to the All Star Game
⭐️ https://t.co/0wLYuN1pcb pic.twitter.com/DjN8thNt3e

— Twins.TV (@twinstv) June 11, 2026

Minnesota moved Buxton into the two-hole on Wednesday night, and the decision paid off as he slugged a game-changing, three-run homer. Brooks Lee, Orlando Arcia, and Josh Bell batted third, fourth, and fifth, respectively. That's not the worst, but Lewis should 100% be batting directly behind Buxton. When Lewis is hot, it forces teams to pitch to Buxton, who has been one of baseball's most lethal hitters this season, despite being unprotected with a big bat behind him.

Buxton's 20 homers rank third in the majors, only behind Houston's Yordan Alvarez (22) and Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber (24). But while Alvarez is protected by slugging first baseman Christian Walker, and Schwarber has Trea Turner and Bryce Harper hitting behind him, Buxton is typically "protected" by Lee, who is hitting .243 with 10 homers and a not-very-intimidating .743 OPS.

The bottom line is that Buxton needs a beast behind him in the lineup. Lewis is the ONLY guy on the roster who can play that role. He might flame out and fall into another horrifying slump, but when he's surging like he currently is, it's a no-brainer to bat him behind Buxton.