The Minnesota Twins are looking to add a spark to a club that is 22-27. With Royce Lewis continuing to struggle at the plate, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports the club has demoted the former No. 1 overall pick to the minors.
This was probably not the outcome the club envisioned when they selected him with the No. 1 overall pick nine years ago. Injuries have prevented Lewis from reaching his ceiling as a player. In 2026, he’s struggled to a .163/.261/.279 slash with three home runs and a 31.1% strikeout rate.
With Lewis headed for St. Paul, Hayes also reports that the Twins will bring up infielder Orlando Arcia. With a full 40-man roster, the club will have to make a corresponding move to get Arcia on the roster.
This will be one of several moves for the Twins today as they’re out of 40-man spots and need to make room for Arcia.
Offensive Struggles Latest Setback for Royce Lewis
Royce Lewis’ 2023 breakout teased the possibility that he’d develop into a key player for the Twins. That year, he hit .309 with 15 homers and a 152 wRC+. Despite being limited to 58 games due to various injuries, Lewis helped the Twins break a 21-year postseason losing streak. He homered twice in Minnesota’s Wild Card series sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays.
However, injuries eventually began to take their toll. In 2024, his numbers backed up, with just a 106 wRC+ and 16 home runs over 82 games. Lewis missed time with a quad and groin injury.
2025 was the healthiest season for the Twins’ third baseman, but also his worst in terms of production. He slashed .237/.283/.388 with 13 home runs and an 85 wRC+. It also marked the second year that Lewis was a below-average player.
The Twins were hoping for a turnaround for the former No. 1 overall pick, but his struggles got worse in 2026. Both his quality of contact metrics and contact rates nosedived.
Lewis’ whiff rate ballooned to 37.6%, which also elevated his strikeout rate north of 30%. That takes the sting out of a hitter who ranks in the 75th percentile for barrel rate (11.8%). With the swing-and-miss out of control, that’s negatively affected his expected metrics.
Through 31 games, Lewis carries a .201 xBA, .318 xSLG, and a .284 xwOBA. For a player who doesn’t provide a lot of value outside the bat, those numbers will lead to some tough decisions for the organization.
Twins Offensive Struggles Lead to Lineup Shakeups
Lewis becomes the second Twin to be demoted to the minors for his offensive struggles. The club optioned outfielder Matt Wallner to St. Paul earlier in the month. Wallner was also struggling on the year with the Twins, slashing .167/.259/.292 with four home runs and a 59 wRC+.
Three of the top four prospects in the Twins organization are currently in St. Paul. Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez, and Kaelen Culpepper could debut for the club later this season. Coincidentally, they also play similar positions to both Lewis and Wallner.
If the Twins continue to fall further back in the standings, the second half of the year could focus on clearing runways for their top prospects to play. Jenkins and Rodriguez have 2026 ETAs on MLB Pipeline, while Culpepper has 2027. How those prospects fare in their first MLB stint could also determine the organization’s direction for both Lewis and Wallner in the offseason.
Twins Send Former No. 1 Overall Pick to Minors Amid Struggles