Minnesota Twins: 5 Possible Scenarios for Royce Lewis in 2022
By Billy Porter
There’s a lot to wonder about Royce Lewis as a prospect.. Let’s start with the good. Ever since he was drafted first overall by the Minnesota Twins in the 2017 Draft, he’s been the Twins’ top prospect. His scouting report was validated by many MLB clubs and he’s always had an excellent set of tools.
He also plays a key position: shortstop, a position where the Twins have a rather glaring hole. Everything adds up to Lewis taking over the shortstop position to solidify the middle of the infield and duo with Jorge Polanco for years to come. So what’s there to wonder about?
Well, injuries and COVID have gotten in the way, as a lost 2020 season was followed by a knee injury that held him out in 2021 too. To make matters worse, he wasn’t all that impressive when he played in 2019 either. Lastly, questions remain about his fielding at short and ability to hit at higher levels remain.
What does 2022 look like for the Minnesota Twins’ top prospect?
This leads to the question: What will happen to Royce Lewis in 2022? Will he realize his potential? Will he take over as the starting shortstop? Will he develop a little further in Triple-AAA? Or will there be a worse situation? Will he get hurt again? Will he stay healthy, but disappoint? Let’s get into some scenarios.