Minnesota Twins’ third baseman Royce Lewis has officially entered “change of scenery” status. At least that’s what Just Baseball Media thinks.
Analyst Thinks Royce Lewis May Need a New Home
Aram Leighton of Just Baseball Media spoke on Lewis’ string of injuries and subpar play.
“It’s not just the prospect thing, we saw him come up and have these incredible stretches at the big league level,” said Leighton. “When he was hot, he was as dominant as anybody. And I think it was expected, though at the same time, that he was going to always be this kind of turbulent player. There’ll be bad stretches, there’ll be good stretches.”
Leighton continued to speak on how Lewis’ misfortune may be weighing on him.
“I think the injuries have definitely effected the mental for him, and also the physical, right? Your body’s not moving the same way. This is an explosive athlete, who is still a pretty good athlete, and I imagine there are some things he wants to do with his mind, his body’s not catching up with. And I’m sure that starts to make you chase your own tail mechanically. But I also think there are just things mentally that just have to be weighing on him. I just wonder if a change of scenery might be the best thing, and ultimately what makes sense for both sides.”
Leighton may be onto something, as Lewis was recently demoted to Minnesota’s Triple-A affiliate after a dreadful start.
Lewis Responds to Demotion
In a pre-game interview after his demotion, Lewis was adamant that he was unaffected by the move.
“You know, I think it’s just an opportunity, you gotta take advantage,” Lewis said. “At the end of the day, I’m playing baseball, so this is awesome.”
He then bridged into how he’s feeling about himself personally.
“I think my talent speaks for itself. And I see it every day, honestly. It’s in the work that, unfortunately, you guys don’t get to see. So you think I suck and whatever it is, and that’s fine. You can judge me by that. It’s real, it hasn’t happened yet. I’ve hit balls hard; they’ve got caught. That’s all a part of baseball. So confidence, I’m not knocked down by any means.
One thing that has excited the infielder is his relentless work ethic this season.
“And honestly, like I told them, I’ve been dominating before the game, and I feel like if that’s not the case, tell me I’m wrong, and they agree with me. I’m out there doing early work defense, early work offense. And honestly, I’ve been a hurt guy, right? You’d think I’d probably get hurt working as hard as I have now. I’m putting way more volume in, and maybe that was the recipe to stay healthier. So I’m excited about that, and I’m just gonna keep doing it.”
The Twins Need Lewis Full Strength
Whether it’s as a trade chip or as a building block, the Twin Cities rely on Lewis.
Star outfielder Byron Buxton is having a monster season thus far. The only other hitter in the Twins lineup who was performing was catcher Ryan Jeffers, who recently went on the shelf.
Without Lewis, the Twins lose a piece of their future that felt all but certain. His dynamic playstyle was outrageous when he was right. If he could catch lightning in a bottle, it could reignite the Minnesota lineup.
Twins’ Royce Lewis May Need a Change of Scenery