Royce Lewis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Royce Lewis |
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Lewis with the St. Paul Saints in 2022
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| Minnesota Twins – No. 23 | ||||||||||||||
| Third baseman | ||||||||||||||
| Born: June 5, 1999 Aliso Viejo, California, U.S. |
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| debut | ||||||||||||||
| May 6, 2022, for the Minnesota Twins | ||||||||||||||
| MLB statistics (through July 20, 2025) |
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| Batting average | .258 | |||||||||||||
| Home runs | 37 | |||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 119 | |||||||||||||
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Royce Oliver Lewis, born on June 5, 1999, is an American professional baseball player. He plays as a third baseman for the Minnesota Twins in Major League Baseball (MLB). The Twins chose him as the very first pick in the 2017 MLB draft. Royce Lewis started playing in the MLB in 2022.
Contents
Early Baseball Days: High School Star
Royce Lewis went to JSerra Catholic High School in San Juan Capistrano, California. As a junior, he was named the Los Angeles Times high school baseball player of the year. He had a great batting average of .429 and hit four home runs.
Playing in All-Star Games
In the summer of 2016, Royce played in two big games. He was part of the Under Armour All-American Game at Wrigley Field. He also played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic at Petco Park. Royce was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in both of these important games.
High School Position and College Plans
For his first three years of high school, Royce played mostly third base and in the outfield. In his senior year, he moved to shortstop. Many people thought he was one of the best young players for the 2017 Major League Baseball draft. He had planned to play college baseball at the University of California, Irvine. In 2017, he was named California's Baseball Gatorade Player of the Year. That year, he batted .377, hit four home runs, and stole 25 bases.
Professional Baseball Journey
The Minnesota Twins picked Royce Lewis as the first overall player in the 2017 draft. He officially signed with the Twins on June 17, 2017. Royce began his professional career with the Gulf Coast League Twins on June 26.
Starting in the Minor Leagues
On August 12, 2017, Royce moved up to the Cedar Rapids Kernels. By the end of 2017, he had a combined batting average of .279. He also hit four home runs, had 27 RBIs (runs batted in), and stole 18 bases in 54 games. Royce started the 2018 season with Cedar Rapids. In 75 games there, he batted .315 with nine home runs and 53 RBIs. He also scored 50 runs and stole 22 bases.
Moving Up the Ranks
On July 14, 2018, Royce was promoted to the Fort Myers Miracle. By July 26, 2018, MLB.com ranked him as the 10th best young player in baseball. He finished his time in Fort Myers with a .255 batting average, five home runs, and 21 RBIs in 46 games. After the 2018 season, Royce was named to the Midwest League postseason all-star team. He was also named the MVP of the Midwest League.
Challenges and Comebacks
The Twins invited Royce to spring training in 2019. He started the 2019 season back with Fort Myers. At the start of the 2019 season, MLB.com ranked him as the fifth-best young player. Royce was chosen to play in the 2019 All-Star Futures Game. In July, he was promoted to the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.
Injury and Recovery
In 2020, Royce did not play in any games. This was because the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On February 24, 2021, Royce found out he had a torn ACL (a knee ligament) in his right knee. He had surgery on February 26. This injury meant he had to miss the entire 2021 season to recover. After the season, he was added to the Twins' 40-man roster.
Major League Baseball Debut
Royce Lewis made his MLB debut for the Twins on May 6, 2022. On May 13, he hit his first career home run. It was a grand slam, meaning he hit it with the bases loaded. He was only the second player in Twins history to hit a grand slam for his first home run. Royce played in 12 games for Minnesota, batting .300 with 2 home runs and 5 RBIs.
Another Injury and Return
On May 29, 2022, Royce re-tore the ACL in his right knee. He needed surgery again, which ended his 2022 season.
Royce was activated from the injured list on May 29, 2023. He returned as the starting third baseman. He made history on August 28, 2023, by hitting a grand slam in two games in a row. On September 4, he hit his third grand slam of the season, tying a Twins team record. His fourth grand slam on September 15 set a new team record. Royce went on the injured list on September 22, which ended his regular season. In 18 games, he batted .313 with six home runs and 23 RBIs. He was named the AL Rookie of the Month.
Postseason Success
The Twins activated Royce for Game 1 of the 2023 AL Wild Card Series. He hit home runs in his first two times at bat in that game. He hit his fourth home run of the postseason in Game 4 of the 2023 ALDS. This tied Kirby Puckett for the most home runs in one postseason for the Twins.
On Opening Day of the 2024 season, Royce strained a muscle in his leg. He went on the injured list on March 30, 2024.
