MINNEAPOLIS -- As the Twins approach a fascinating offseason, they have some obvious questions, some areas that everyone knows they need to address. They’ll need to add a couple of relievers. They don’t know who their starting catcher will be.
And then there’s one unknown that’s a little more existential: Exactly how and where does Royce Lewis fit into their plans?
Lewis began ’26 as the team’s starting third baseman. A deep slump sent him to Triple-A St. Paul, and upon Lewis’ return, Brooks Lee had been moved to third -- where he thrived, earning a Gold Glove nomination. Lewis played some second base, but for the bulk of the second half of the season, he played first with Kody Clemens at second.
He had an inconsistent year at the plate, but he stayed healthy, and that in itself is a victory. And not a small one.
“I'm proud,” he said. “I came out with one goal, and my goal was to play 130-plus games and be available for [manager Derek Shelton] and that includes off-days. … I was able to accomplish that [including the games at Triple-A].”
Defensively, Lewis came along nicely, and by the end of the year, it looked as though he could become a pretty good first baseman. That shouldn’t be shocking -- Lewis remains athletic, even if he’s not as explosive as he was before multiple injuries. But at first base, the offensive equation changes. It’s a bat-first position, and so now the question is, will he hit enough to justify playing him regularly there?
Lewis points to pitch selection as a primary focus as he looks to take the next step, from available and sometimes impactful to regaining his status as an all-around star.
“I was feeling good and seeing the ball good and unfortunately I chased,” Lewis said. “My adjustment needs to be to not chase as much. That's what happened the last month and a half. It's an easier-said-than-done thing, but these are the adjustments you need to make throughout a season.”
Whether Lewis can make those adjustments and take that next step looms over a good bit of Minnesota’s offseason decision-making. The Twins are set at third base (Lee) and shortstop (No. 3 prospect Kaelen Culpepper). Clemens will very likely start at second if the Twins retain Lewis or add a first baseman, though he could shift to first if they were to bring in an impact player at the keystone.
It’s unlikely that the Twins will carry a player who is primarily a designated hitter next season. So really, the only position for Lewis is first. And though at times in 2026 he hit like a star first baseman, his final line for the year falls short of that. Even if you limit it to the time after he returned from his demotion on June 6, Lewis hit .245/.295/.409 (.704 OPS), which would be well below the Major League average of a .771 OPS for first basemen this season.
Meanwhile, that same math also means that aside from catcher, first or perhaps second base are about the only places where the Twins can add an impact bat to a lineup that was effective in 2026 but could still use a power infusion.
And so, the Twins are faced with a decision: Have faith in Lewis’ talent and dedication, or consider other options?
“I think the biggest thing, and he will tell you this, is consistency,” said Shelton. “We’ve seen him be really hot. We’ve seen him not be hot and we’ve seen the in between. I think the biggest thing for him is just going to be the consistency throughout a season.”
A trade of Lewis would be difficult to navigate. He remains immensely popular with fans, and it’s hard to gauge his value on the market as a player who has been a star but has searched to regain that form. He’s not worried about it, even as MLB Trade Rumors is estimating he'll get $5.1 million in his first year of arbitration.
“Oh, dude, I'm still in the cheap zone,” he said. “I don't think that's a cross-my-mind kind of thing. No, I see myself as a Twin for a lot longer than, I don't know, what I have two more years [until free agency]. Yeah, I see myself as a Twin for a lot longer than that. This group is so good, and I'm still very young, like, I haven't even -- this is technically my prime.”