Article: Royce Lewis is Finding His Stroke

[Cody Christie]

The beginning of the minor league season can be full of plenty of ups and downs. Weather has impacted games for multiple weeks, especially for Twins affiliates in Cedar Rapids and Rochester. As the calendar turns to May, there is hope for warmer weather and the possibility of top prospects hitting their stride.

 

For Minnesota’s top prospect, Royce Lewis, the season’s beginning has been anything but cold. Last year’s number one overall pick is starting the year at Cedar Rapids but he could be fighting for a promotion in the coming weeks. What’s gone right so far this year for Mr. Lewis?Hot Hitting

Entering play on Tuesday night, Lewis is hitting .316/.361/.386 with two extra-base hits. In his 14 games, he has an eight to four strikeout to walk ratio while adding in five stolen bases. Lewis was named the Twins Minor League Player of the Week for his performance at the plate last week. During those four games, he went 7-for-23 with four runs and four RBI. This was following on the heels of a four-hit game the week before.

 

Lewis has hit safely in 10 of his 14 games this season including multiple hits in five contests. On April 21, he went 4-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base. Less than a week later on April 27, he finished with three hits while adding a pair of runs, a stolen base and a RBI. He has only failed to reach base in three games this season.

 

Meanwhile, he is doing this while being almost 2.5 years younger than the competition in the Midwest League. He won’t turn 19 until June 5th and he could be in Fort Myers before he blows out the candles on his birthday cake.

 

Extra Rest Days

Minnesota has been cautious with Lewis to start the season by allowing him multiple rest days. He has yet to play three days in a row. Weather has obviously impacted some of the team’s early schedule. However, the team has specifically not had him in the lineup on multiple occasions.

 

The 2018 campaign will mark be his first opportunity to play a full professional season. Last year after being drafted, Lewis played in 54 games to end the season. He had also played in his high school season last spring which would bump up his total slightly. Lewis will likely pass 100 games played this season and it makes more sense for him to be getting the bulk of his action when the weather is nicer.

 

Promotion Prediction

Baseball fans have seen top prospects burst onto the scene over the last week. Atlanta’s budding star is only 20 years old but he has been playing professionally since age 17. Lewis could follow in Acuna’s footsteps but it seems more likely for Minnesota to pump the brakes a little. Acuna only played one minor league season with more than 100 games and that was last year. During the 2017 season, he played at all three of the highest levels in the Braves system.

 

Lewis is starting 2018 at Low-A so his first step will be a promotion to Fort Myers. He will need to continue to hit well but as I said before, I believe he can be in Florida before his birthday in early June. If he continues on the fast track, Lewis could be in Minnesota as early as next summer. A more likely timeline would make him a September call-up in 2019 and a starter in 2020.

 

What are your early impressions of Lewis? Can he make it to Target Field by next season? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

 

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[Seth Stohs]

Without saying it, the Twins are trying to help Lewis transition to full-season ball from a high school season. He hasn't played the last two Sundays and got last Wednesday off. The idea is to try to keep him fresh all year. 

 

I want to see him play all the time, but I actually think it's a wise strategy.

[TheLeviathan]

Is he exclusively playing SS or bouncing around?

[Tom Froemming]

 

Is he exclusively playing SS or bouncing around?

Just shortstop. From what I've been able to see I think he's looked good there. Definitely has the arm.

[Steve Lein]

Next year is a little aggressive for me. Setting expectations a little high as he still needs a ton of work to stick as a shortstop.

[nicksaviking]

I don't want to set unreasonably high expectations as far as a timeline goes.

 

On the other hand I also don't want to hear people saying it can't be done or the team is smart not to do it when other teams are promoting their 19 or 20-year-old top prospects.

[Seth Stohs]

Yeah, I think that the Twins will be appropriately aggressive with Lewis. 

 

He's much more advanced offensively than Buxton was at the same stage, and Buxton was promoted to Ft. Myers in early July or late June. Lewis could be promoted in that timeline... I'm mainly hoping they wait until after Memorial Day as I'm hoping to go down there that weekend. 

 

I think he finishes this year in Ft. Myers. He could start next year in Chattanooga... Then honestly, it may depend some on Gordon and Polanco (and obviously the Dozier and Escobar free agency possibilities), but he could be up as early as late 2019. I think early 2020 is very realistic. 

[TheLeviathan]

Keep the challenging the kid, that’s all I ask - Don’t make it seem like he’s languishing.

[Mike Sixel]

Plenty of other teams promote young players to the majors.....it would be nice to see the Twins be more aggressive than they have been (and no, I'm not saying put him in the majors right now, I'm saying promote him before he's ready, to challenge him and get him here faster).

[DocBauer]

The athleticism, the attitude, the ethic and natural offensive ability screams potential and promotion. I haven't had a chance to watch him defensively save a couple innings in one televised ST game. What I did see in those couple innings looked smooth with one outstanding play where he fielded a grounder behind second base and shot it to 1B with a strong and accurate throw.

 

He may be young and un-refined, but that tiny sample size showed me he has the ability to stick at SS, at least. Let's get him up to FTM by June 1st. (Also makes room for Javier).

[diehardtwinsfan]

 

Keep the challenging the kid, that’s all I ask - Don’t make it seem like he’s languishing.

I tend to agree with this... keep the challenge up. I'm not sure aggressive for the sake of aggressive should be the goal. Look at Buxton. No question he could have used some additional minor league seasoning... I get that Buxton's promotion was more need based at that time, but after failing, the team didn't exactly have a backup plan the following year. It showed.

[h2oface]

I can't even imagine how hard it must be for a 19 or 20 year old athlete since a child to get to play baseball almost everyday. The kid needs his rest! One doesn't want him to wear out by 35 to forty. Just think if Nolan Ryan would have gotten all that needed rest. He might still be pitching.