Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis may have finally found some momentum again after a brutal start to the 2026 season led to his recent demotion to Triple-A St. Paul.

The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft has endured one of the most difficult stretches of his professional career this year. Before being optioned earlier this week, Lewis struggled badly at the major league level, posting a disappointing .163/.261/.279 slash line with a 55 wRC+ across 119 plate appearances for Minnesota.

For a player once viewed as one of baseball’s brightest young stars, the numbers represented a massive step backward.

The struggles became even more frustrating considering the flashes Lewis showed during previous seasons. Injuries have repeatedly interrupted his development over the years, but when healthy, he has demonstrated elite offensive upside capable of changing games consistently.

Following the demotion, Lewis also faced criticism from portions of the Twins fanbase after comments featured in an interview with The Minnesota Star Tribune generated backlash online. Still, instead of allowing the negativity to overwhelm him, Lewis appears to be responding the best possible way — by producing on the field.

Since arriving at Triple-A St. Paul, Lewis has looked completely different offensively.

Across his first three games with the Saints, the 26-year-old infielder has gone 4-for-13 with three home runs, four RBIs, and one walk. While the sample size remains extremely small, the immediate power surge has created optimism inside the organization that Lewis may finally be regaining confidence at the plate.

Even more encouraging for Minnesota is the fact that Lewis already displayed strong results during earlier rehab appearances with the Saints this season. During two rehab games in April, he homered twice, meaning he now has five home runs in just five total appearances for Triple-A St. Paul this year.

Videos shared by the St. Paul Saints on social media quickly caught the attention of Twins fans after Lewis launched another towering home run to straightaway center field during the series against the Omaha Storm Chasers.

“Second time in three games since being optioned and 4th in 5 overall games with us that Royce Oliver Lewis smashes one over the wall,” the Saints posted following one of his recent home runs.

The offensive turnaround may be exactly what Lewis needed mentally after months of struggles at the MLB level.

However, despite the encouraging start in Triple-A, Lewis’ path back to Minnesota may not be simple.

Following his demotion, the Twins shifted Brooks Lee from shortstop back to third base — a move many believe signals the organization is preparing for the eventual promotion of top shortstop prospect Kaelen Culpepper.

Culpepper has been one of the hottest young players in the minors this season, hitting .247/.349/.466 with 10 home runs and 33 RBIs across 44 games for St. Paul. His continued development could significantly impact Lewis’ future role within the organization.

If Culpepper earns a permanent opportunity at shortstop while Brooks Lee settles in at third base, Minnesota may eventually need to explore alternative defensive positions for Lewis — including a potential transition to first base.

Still, many around baseball believe the Twins would be making a major mistake if they gave up on Lewis too quickly.

At just 26 years old, the former top prospect still possesses tremendous natural talent and upside. His trade value is currently at its lowest point due to his struggles, meaning moving him now would likely bring back limited return while sacrificing the possibility of a future breakout.

And there is still plenty of reason to believe that breakout remains possible.

Twins fans have already seen what Lewis can become when healthy and confident. During the 2023 season, he looked like a future superstar, slashing .309/.372/.548 with a 152 wRC+ while hitting 15 home runs and driving in 52 RBIs across only 58 games.

That version of Royce Lewis completely changed Minnesota’s lineup whenever he stepped into the batter’s box.

The biggest question now is whether he can rediscover that level consistently again after multiple injury setbacks and offensive struggles.

For the Twins, the smartest approach may simply be patience.

Allowing Lewis time to reset mentally and mechanically in Triple-A could ultimately benefit both the player and the organization long term. If he continues producing with the Saints over the next several weeks, Minnesota can reevaluate his role and potentially bring him back to the majors later in the season.

But if the struggles eventually return — either in Triple-A or after another MLB promotion — the franchise may finally face difficult decisions regarding his future.

For now, though, Royce Lewis appears determined to remind baseball why he was once considered one of the sport’s brightest young stars.