Royce Lewis

Lewis was supposed to be Minnesota's next superstar if he could only stay healthy, but he surprisingly struggled at the plate last season which has clouded his status as a franchise cornerstone. Lewis was injured to begin the season for a second consecutive year. He missed over a month after straining his left hamstring in spring training. In 2024, he missed 58 games with a right quadriceps strain suffered on Opening Day. And he played just 70 games in his first two seasons due to a myriad of injuries, including two torn ACLs. When Lewis returned in May he struggled by hitting just .133/.207/.420 in 22 games that included an 0-for-32 slump. He then missed another two weeks with another left hamstring strain in June. He then had perhaps the healthiest stretch of his career, playing 64 games in the second half but hitting just .249/.284/.439. There were some positive signs as he started running again with 12 stolen bases and he hit 11 home runs. Still, he started slumping in the second half of 2024, hitting just .207 with six home runs and a .620 OPS over his final 56 games, and hasn't recovered. His defense at third base hasn't improved (-2 Defensive Runs Saved) which could put his spot in the lineup at risk. Lewis' struggles are thought to actually be more mental than physical which a decline in walk rate (career-low 6.2%) could be an indication. Perhaps a healthy offseason for once could get him back on track as he's still the same player who hit .303 with 27 home runs in his first 94 games. Read Past Outlooks