There aren't many words left to describe what Royce Lewis has done this year. The former top overall pick has battled through multiple injuries and overcame them to eventually put together a magical rookie season with the Twins.
If you thought Lewis' magic was going to run out at the end of the regular season, you were wrong. After dealing with a hamstring injury that sidelined Lewis during the final stretch of the regular season, the young star was back in the lineup on Tuesday.
And he was back like he never left. Hitting third in the first playoff game of his career, Lewis wasted no time in showing that he was ready to help put an end to the Twins' 18-game playoff losing streak.
With Edouard Julien taking a free pass to start the bottom of the first, Lewis belted a two-run home run in his first trip to the plate, giving the Twins a 2-0 lead and sending Target Field into a frenzy.
Welcome to the Land of 10,000 Rakes. 🎣🎣 #WeBelieveinTC pic.twitter.com/S6yZF97skG
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) October 3, 2023
That was only the beginning for Lewis, as he got another opportunity in the bottom of the third. Once again, Lewis delivered. Only this time, he settled for a solo home run to put the Twins ahead 3-0 and kept the early momentum piling on.
Royce is thriving. 😍#WeBelieveinTC pic.twitter.com/46mVsLguHW
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) October 3, 2023
By going 2-2 with two home runs in his first playoff game, Royce Lewis became the third player in MLB history to go deep in each of their first two playoff plate appearances. The others were Evan Longoria in 2008 and none other than Gary Gaetti in 1987.
If history repeats itself, following the path of 1987 will make for a thrilling postseason run in the Twin Cities. Regardless of how it plays out, Lewis played an integral role in guiding the Twins to ending the long, dreaded playoff losing streak on Tuesday afternoon.
First it was becoming the first Twin to hit a grand slam in consecutive games, then it was setting the single-season Twins' grand slam record. Now, Lewis keeps adding his name to the Minnesota and baseball record books and he's doing it on the biggest stage he has seen in his career thus far.
Oh, and while Lewis was putting his name next to baseball history on Tuesday, it was the same day he was announced as the American League Rookie of the Month for September.
The legend of Royce Lewis continues to grow no matter what stage he plays on. So far, he has shown that no moment is too big for him. The most remarkable part is that he's still only 24-years-old and is just scratching the surface of what type of player he can be in the Twin Cities.