It’s been a rollercoaster of a 2026 season for Royce Lewis. But it looks like things may finally be turning around for the better.
May was an uncharacteristically bad month for the Twins third baseman, to the point he was reassigned to the Triple-A St. Paul Saints to right the ship. Lewis then made significant changes during a dominant stretch in the minors and has shown real changes since returning to the bigs.
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Are the changes sustainable, or is this just a mid-season hot streak? Here’s what fantasy managers should know.
How Bad the Struggle Actually Was
Royce Lewis’ mechanical adjustments transformed his offensive profile following a brief but productive Triple-A reset.Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Lewis only made it 11 games into May before being reassigned to Triple-A. The former first-overall draft pick was slashing .105/.186/.132 through 119 plate appearances and had a career-worst 37.2% strikeout rate. (His strikeout rate was 19.9% in 2025 and hadn’t exceeded 23% during the rest of his career.) FanGraphs confirms Lewis’ wRC+ for March and April were a combined 89 (compared to a league average 100), and it dropped to -10 before his reassignment on May 17.
Now, it should be noted Lewis suffered a left knee sprain that landed him on the 10-day IL on April 21, and that his struggles were magnified in his return. (We’ll talk more about his injury history later.) But the real driver behind Lewis’ slump was a loss of at-bat mechanics, which Twins Daily confirms he sought to change after being optioned to the minors.
What Happened in Triple-A and the Changes That Matter
Royce Lewis’ revamped swing mechanics produced improved contact quality and encouraging offensive consistency after his major-league return.Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images
The physical (and mental) reset Lewis underwent in Triple-A started with reverting to the hitting mechanics that made him successful before his MLB career. This included removing a double-tap with his pitcher-facing foot and reintroducing a leg kick he hadn’t used since 2021.
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After that mechanical adjustment, Lewis began obliterating minor-league pitchers. He slashed .333/.403/.900 with 10 home runs and 22 RBI in 15 games.
The dominant stretch earned Lewis an early recall back to the majors, where he has maintained his reimagined hitting style. The result: Lewis hit .279/.330/.512 for the Twins in June with five home runs and 10 RBI on 24 hits. He has stayed consistent into July, slashing .214/.313/.393 with one homer and four RBI through 28 at-bats. His bat speed has also increased to an average of 76 mph, which matches his Statcast season average of a career-high 75.3 mph.
To top it off, Lewis’ abysmal strikeout rate regressed to 22.3% in June. That number should go down even more as Lewis continues to use his improved batting stance.
The Injury History and The Fantasy Verdict
So why did Lewis abandon these preferable batting mechanics in the first place? His first ACL tear made the high kick uncomfortable, so his batting stance began to evolve to compensate for the injury.
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Lewis’ MLB career is peppered with lower-body injuries, including a second ACL tear and multiple hamstring strains. There has been no report of another injury since returning from the minors, but his history is something all fantasy managers should know.
Speaking of which, what does this mean for Lewis as a fantasy baseball asset?
He’s rostered in roughly 40% of leagues, according to Yahoo! Sports. The adjustments are real, and the power has increased. Plus, he offers positional flexibility since he can also cover first and second base. However, Lewis’ injury history makes him a high-risk, high-reward fantasy asset, so owners should only target him as an add piece if they can get him at a discount. Athlon’s ongoing 2026 fantasy baseball coverage helps fantasy managers compare assets and target the best waiver-wire candidates heading into the second half of the season.
Questions About Royce Lewis’ Season, Answered
Why was Royce Lewis demoted to Triple-A in 2026?
Lewis was demoted after an extended offensive slump that included a .105/.186/.132 slash line through 119 plate appearances and a career-worst 37.2% strikeout rate. His struggles were driven primarily by deteriorating hitting mechanics, prompting the Twins to send him to Triple-A to rebuild his swing.
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What changed for Royce Lewis since his Triple-A demotion?
Lewis returned to the mechanics that previously made him successful, including removing a double-tap with his front foot and bringing back a leg kick. Those adjustments fueled a dominant Triple-A performance, and he has carried that revamped approach into the majors with improved production, increased bat speed, and a lower strikeout rate.
Is Royce Lewis’s turnaround sustainable given his injury history?
The mechanical improvements appear legitimate, but his injury history remains an important consideration. Lewis has dealt with multiple significant lower-body injuries, including two ACL tears and multiple hamstring strains. While there have been no reports of a new injury since his return, fantasy managers should still factor that long-term risk into expectations.
Is Royce Lewis a good fantasy baseball buy-low target right now?
Lewis profiles as a worthwhile buy-low target if the acquisition cost remains reasonable. His swing changes and improved power production are encouraging, but his injury history makes him a high-risk, high-reward option best pursued at a discount rather than as a cornerstone acquisition.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2026, where it first appeared in the Fantasy section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.