When Minnesota Twins star Carlos Correa injured his finger several weeks ago, the team decided to give their most prized prospect, Royce Lewis, a shot in the majors.
Lewis did not disappoint and took advantage of his time with the Twins, hitting .308/.325/.564 with two home runs in 40 plate appearances.
Correa got healthy, and the Twins sent Lewis down to the Triple-A St. Paul Saints.
They only did that because there wasn’t a spot on the MLB roster for him to play every day.
For all the injuries and obstacles he has had in his professional career, it’s easy to forget that Lewis is still somehow 22 years old.
In reality, Lewis hasn’t had many Triple-A at-bats in his career.
Most prospects need about a year’s worth of plate appearances in the high minors.
But Lewis is not just any prospect.
“Royce Lewis is now 3-for-3 with a homer and a walk at Triple-A St. Paul. Trevor Larnach has blasted a 3-run homer in four at-bats on a rehab assignment at Double-A Wichita,” The Athletic’s Dan Hayes tweeted last night.
Royce Lewis is now 3-for-3 with a homer and a walk at Triple-A St. Paul.
Trevor Larnach has blasted a 3-run homer in four at-bats on a rehab assignment at Double-A Wichita. #MNTwins
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) May 20, 2022
He Seems Ready To Shine In MLB
It looks like Lewis is having some fun at Triple-A, isn’t he?
He is clearly MLB-ready, but the Twins would rather have him receive regular playing time in Triple-A than riding the bench in the Major Leagues.
It’s a fundamentally sound decision, but the player is, most likely, ready to be the Twins’ shortstop of the future.
He is hitting .333/.450/.611 with four blasts and nine steals in Triple-A as a whole in 2022, before and after being called up.
The thing is that while Correa can opt out of his deal after this season, he might very well opt into the deal and stay for the next two seasons.
Correa is a top offensive player and an elite defender, so if that’s the case, maybe Lewis should start learning another position.
In any case, the Twins appear to have a difference-maker at Triple-A.
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