Royce Lewis made his major league debut against the Oakland A’s on May 6. Two Baltimore Orioles pitchers had hit Carlos Correa in the hand in the previous series, sending him to the injured list. Correa’s stay on the IL was shorter than expected, though, and the Minnesota Twins sent Lewis back to Triple-A after a game in Oakland on May 17.
They had to know the decision would be controversial. Lewis has a .308/.325/.564 slash line in the majors and looked comfortable at shortstop, albeit against some of the worst teams in the league. He played five games against the tanking A’s, and three against the Cleveland Guardians. He also had three against the Houston Astros. It’s hard to read into a small sample size, but context is always essential.
Still, Lewis has lived up to the billing as the first-overall pick in 2017, and the Twins have had trouble generating offense. His long-term future is at short, but Lewis played center field in the Arizona Fall League in 2019. Minnesota could have moved him to third base and kept him in the majors. However, Rocco Baldelli focused on Lewis’ development in explaining the Twins’ plans for him in St. Paul.
“Royce is a shortstop,” he said. “He’s going to play a lot of shortstop. He’s going to prepare himself to play that position going forward. But the team is playing well right now. He’s a really talented young player. And if he’s going to help us this year again at some point…it gives him the ability and the confidence to come to this level and potentially contribute not as a shortstop.
“But for a guy to do it and to give him the best possible opportunity, I think we get him the work and we get him a handful of games. We’re not talking about something that’s going to take away from his ability to play in the middle of the field at shortstop. I think we’re talking about maybe a game a week in the outfield. Something along those lines.”
Lewis joined a slew of other prospects when he reached the majors, so he faced a different kind of pressure than Byron Buxton did. He doesn’t need to be a savior. But he’s still Derek Falvey and Thad Levine’s first-ever pick and Minnesota’s future at shortstop. Correa will likely opt out of his deal at the end of this season, and if the Twins should spend top-dollar on a player, it should be an ace free-agent pitcher – especially because Lewis can play short.
Therefore, his development is of the utmost importance to the Twins.
Still, there’s another factor to consider. The Twins are in win-now mode, and they’re in the middle of a light part of their schedule. They’ve taken two-of-three from the Cleveland Guardians, a .500 team, before sweeping the Kansas City Royals. Then they play the Detroit Tigers and the Royals at home before playing five games in Detroit.
The Twins need to pick up wins right now. The rest of the AL Central is hovering around or below .500. Therefore, they have an opportunity to take control of the division by June. More importantly, they have three series against the AL East following this lull in their schedule. After playing in Detroit, the Twins will travel across the border to play three games against the Toronto Blue Jays. After that, they face the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays at home.
Minnesota could still use Lewis’ offense. But he would be playing out of position, and any defensive blunder he makes could be detrimental. The Twins may occasionally play in close games, even against the worst teams in the league. Therefore, defensive miscues will be magnified and could hurt the confidence of any young player, even one as positive as Lewis.
The Twins have been moving Lewis around the diamond in St. Paul. He’s played four Triple-A games since Minnesota demoted him – two at short, one at third, and one in left – meaning they are sticking to his developmental plan. It’s no big deal if he makes a mistake at CHS Field. That’s what the minors are for. But he and the Twins would face scrutiny if he mishandles a routine play at the hot corner in a game against the Tigers.
I’m not trying to place too much emphasis on games in May. Nor am I saying I’m 100 percent behind Minnesota’s decision to send Lewis down. I also know that they aren’t going to come out and say this was an opportunity with a light spot in the schedule. That would be disrespectful and create posterboard material for their opponents. But the Twins have a unique situation where they can take control of the AL Central early and give themselves wiggle room as the summer drags on without Lewis.
Before the season started, FanGraphs and Vegas Insider had the Twins as a .500 team, and multiple outlets considered the Chicago White Sox contenders. The White Sox will eventually have lighter stretches against the Central, so Minnesota would benefit from getting out to an early lead. Therefore, they need to cash in before things get more challenging.
Consider this: What if the Twins thought they could beat the Tigers and the Royals without Lewis? They could give him time to develop at various positions in St. Paul while allowing him to play primarily at short. Then, could they call him up when they need his bat against the Blue Jays, Yankees, and Rays?
The Twins should prioritize what’s best for Lewis’ development. If they don’t recall him to play the AL East teams, then my theory is wrong. But sometimes the sequencing works out. Maybe we see Lewis if the Twins continue to falter against sub-.500 teams. Perhaps he’s the boost they will need to hang with the best in the AL East. Ultimately, they need to find a role for Lewis in the majors, so he’s ready to take over if Correa leaves in free agency.
