The Adjustment Royce Lewis Must Make to Save His Future in Minnesota

Royce Lewis still has the power to become an impact hitter again, but his approach at the plate has moved too far away from the version we saw in 2023.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Royce Lewis (23). Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I wonder if we will see a version of Royce Lewis like the one we saw destroy pitchers in the 2023 postseason. It was his second year in the Major Leagues, so there were many of those October moments that remained in our memories. Well, I don’t know if we have forgotten a little of that impact with the versions of Lewis’ swing that we have seen over these last two years.

His power has been disappearing since 2024, his last season with a .450 or higher slugging percentage. The year before, Lewis had what seemed like his breakout, with 15 home runs, 52 RBIs and a 152 wRC+ in 239 plate appearances at age 24.

This season, he just finished his second consecutive year with an 85 wRC+, the worst of his career, along with a .227 batting average and a .380 slugging percentage. Therefore, his 15 home runs in 509 plate appearances don’t tell the whole story. Nine players on the team have surpassed his fWAR since 2024, and eight have in the last two seasons.

It is clear that this problem is whether consistency, and it leaves too many questions around Lewis’ future with Minnesota, because it is becoming increasingly difficult for his offensive potential to translate into production.

What Does Lewis Need to Do to Survive?

Minnesota Twins infielder Royce Lewis (23). Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The offensive decline is evident, but what catches my attention the most is what is behind the numbers. Let’s go step by step. Lewis just finished with the worst OPS of his career, at just .667, although he posted .671 in 2025. His strikeout rate is also at the worst level of his career, at 25.5%, and listen to this devastating stat: he finished with the same 40% whiff rate against breaking pitches and offspeed pitches. In his best version during 2023, Lewis destroyed offspeed pitches, producing a .320 batting average, a solid .270 against breaking pitches, and crushed fastballs with a .343 average.

He has not been able to do it again, and with all these trends, it is clear that his swing and his approach at the plate continue to move away from that version. As Lewis continues trying to recover a version of himself that he has not been able to repeat, the seasons will continue to be mediocre. Lewis can do a more consistent job than that. In 2026, he finished in the 85th percentile in bat speed, and combined that effectiveness by finishing 71st in Barrel%. He has enough power for his contact to produce better impact, but his swing has sunk to the 7th percentile in whiffs.

Minnesota Twins first baseman Royce Lewis (23). Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A major change in approach would help Lewis. He can become the hitter who excited us so much in 2023 again, but he can be much better than the one from these last two seasons. Throughout his career, 50.7% of his RBIs have come via the home run. That sounds great in terms of percentages, but Lewis has built it by limiting his ability to put the ball in play, precisely the opposite of the philosophy that led the 2026 Twins to become an offense to respect and turn into contenders.