Royce Lewis is Pretty Much Refusing to Play 2nd Base for the Minnesota Twins

When healthy, Royce Lewis has been the 2024 starting 3rd baseman for the Minnesota Twins, and there is no arguing his importance to the present and future of the organization. Originally a shortstop, the 2017 No. 1 overall pick hasn’t had the easiest time adjusting to new positions, at the big league level.

But once the Twins inked Carlos Correa long-term, it meant a much more permanent position change. He tried center field, during the second call-up of his career, back in late May, 2022 . That experiment lasted just a few innings before it ended in a torn ACL, after he ran into the CF wall.

At that moment, any future with Royce Lewis in the outfield was pretty much ruled out. No worries, though, because 3rd base has made the most sense for awhile now. Jose Miranda fell off a production cliff, after an impressive 2022, opening the door for Lewis.

Royce Lewis has gotten used to playing 3rd base

So, that is where Royce has logged most of his MLB innings, defensively. In 128 big league games , he has been written in as a 3rd baseman 84 times. That, compared to just 12 appearances at SS, 11 of which came in early May, 2022, when he made his MLB debut , filling in for an injured Carlos Correa.

That’s 96 games on the left side of the infield. Beyond that, Lewis has DH’d in 30 games and logged three innings each at centerfield (the aforementioned ACL injury) and 2nd base. The latter appearance, at 2B, happened over the weekend.

Royce got some pre-game work at 2B, last week, just in case Baldelli needed to play him there, in a pinch. Wouldn’t you know it, that pinch arrived on Sunday, when he was forced to play there there following a late-inning pinch hit appearance.

Over the last week, Royce Lewis had already made it clear that he isn’t a fan of moving to a new position, during a playoff race. That’s understandable, being he’s never really played 2nd base, outside of a few games in the Arizona Fall League, where everyone plays out-of-position.

Lewis refusing to play 2nd base for Minnesota Twins?

But on Monday, he spoke with reporters again, about possibly logging more innings on the right side of the infield. This time, the 25-year-old did not mince words. Not only does Royce not like playing 2B, but he doesn’t really see a reason to play there again the rest of this season. “We have plenty of really good second basemen”, he noted very bluntly.

“I’m terrified out there. Little things like that are just adding extra elements to a September push that’s important to me. I don’t know. We have plenty of really good second basemen, and I don’t want to mess up our defense just because we’re going to try something new. It’s not spring training or Triple-A for that.”

Royce Lewis on the idea of playing more 2nd base (via the The MN Star Tribune )

Why is the California kid afraid of his own shadow at 2nd base? There isn’t a wall for him to run into, like there is CF. If you play baseball or softball, you understand where Lewis is coming from. A lot of the game is mental.

Why is Royce Lewis treating a position change like meeting the boogeyman?

What do I do if the ball is hit to me? What if it is hit to LF or RF? You have to know all of these things before every pitch, and your responsibilities change from pitch to pitch. What should I do on a bunt to the right side vs left side? What responsibilities do I have on a steal? The scenarios are endless.

When you play the same position over and over again, those fundamentals become so ingrained into your head, that you no longer think about them. They just happen, like baseball reflexes. But if you move positions, all that muscle memory is gone.

Related: Byron Buxton on His Way Back to Minnesota Twins Lineup Once Again

Yes, you probably know most of the responsibilities for that new position, but you have to think about them now, which makes it much harder to play the game at a professional level.

This is what makes the Willi Castros of baseball so rare. Utility players have to know the responsibilities of every position, like the back of their hand. That’s not easy, and Royce Lewis is not interested in learning any new responsibilities.

“The moment you have to think in this game is when the game speeds up on you,” he said. “That’s where I’m worried I’m not ready yet.”

“I think we proved I’m an athlete. Now, let’s just keep playing normal baseball, play third and win baseball games.”

Royce Lewis (via T he MN Star Tribune )

Man, that last quote really punches me in the wrong way. I have spent this entire article, up until now, trying to give Royce Lewis the benefit of the doubt on his clear [and very public] refusal to move to 2nd base for the Minnesota Twins.

But holy shit, could you sound like any more of a selfish teammate than he comes off as, in this interview? “I think we proved I’m an athlete. Now let’s just keep playing normal baseball.”

Not a good look for the young rising superstar

I understand his concern with screwing something up, especially on a big stage. Nobody wants to be the infielder who isn’t comfortable in his responsibilities, especially in the MLB. But sometimes, you have to step out of your comfort zone, if it means helping the team win. Isn’t that what he claims to care about?

Related: Dave St. Peter Confirms: Twins Still Have No Idea What Their TV Plan Is

It’s clear manager Rocco Baldelli has been trying to convince Lewis a move to 2B before, and during the playoffs, may be the best way to get all of the Twins’ best players into the lineup. The logic is obvious. Carlos Santana is a Gold Glove caliber 1st baseman. When Carlos Correa returns, he will play shortstop.

After that, Minnesota has Brooks Lee, Jose Miranda and Royce Lewis and only two positions available. Jose Miranda and Brooks Lee are both better 3rd basemen, defensively, than Lewis. Royce has committed 11 errors in 84 games at 3B. Not good. That’s especially true for Lee, who might be the best defensive infielder the Twins have right now.

Moving Royce to 2B would allow Rocco Baldelli a ton more flexibility and defensive alignments. That would especially be true, when Carlos Correa returns. It would not be a good look if Royce Lewis refuses to move, or continues to complain about it. Do you want to help the team win games, or not?

More must-reads:

• Dave St. Peter Confirms: Twins Still Have No Idea What Their TV Plan Is
• Trevor Larnach Home Run KO’s Rays Fan
• Byron Buxton on His Way Back to Minnesota Twins Lineup Once Again