The Minnesota Twins have been forced to make multiple lineup changes throughout the season. A crowded infield is coming once it gets healthy. That may result in Royce Lewis moving off his position yet again.
Minnesota Twins may push Royce Lewis across the diamond
In 2017 , the Twins took Royce Lewis No. 1 overall, as a shortstop. That didn’t mean he was destined to stick there. Lewis is an elite athlete. Growing up, elite athletes play shortstop. When the franchise signed Carlos Correa to a mega-deal, it was a given that Lewis would slide over to third base .
But now, Brooks Lee is also now at the big league level, and that could force another position change. In fact, on Tuesday, Minnesota began to work Lewis out at second base. A shift to the outfield made sense for quite some time. That was before the knee injuries and soft tissue setbacks.
Royce Lewis may be best-served working at second base, once Lee and Correa return to the lineup. Learning some of the mechanics of playing 1st base wouldn’t be a bad idea, either. Lewis could even benefit from being off his feet, at times, as the designated hitter.
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At this point, any shift in position for Lewis is still in the early stages. Out of the three of them, Royce is the best suited for 2nd base. And that’s where he may find himself, eventually. For now, Minnesota is just experimenting with the idea.
What does a position change for Minnesota Twins Royce Lewis do?
It’s not surprising that Royce Lewis was moved off of shortstop for Carlos Correa. There were certainly questions as to whether he would stick when coming up through the system.
Now playing the hot corner, and having dealt with injuries, both Jose Miranda and Brooks Lee may be better options. If Lewis settles in at second, the Twins may be able to keep him healthier and productive.
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In nearly 700 innings at third base during his career, Lewis has posted a 3 DRS and 3 OAA with 2 FRV. To simplify that, he has been above average defensively, but just by a marginal value.
The expectations at second base are lower, and he could have a truly exceptional career there. Edouard Julien elevated his defensive game down the stretch last season, and Brian Dozier won a gold glove.
Realistically Lewis would be a substantially better defender than both Julien and Dozier at second base. Given his power potential, he could be something of a consistent Silver Slugger or Gold Glove winner considering what Dozier did.
The Twins focal point has to be getting all of their talent in the lineup, and keeping them healthy. We haven’t seen Minnesota commit to making the change permanent, but the door is now open and could happen sooner rather than later.
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