Twins infielder Royce Lewis made his first profession look at second base yesterday, fielding three innings of labor on the place in the course of the membership’s win over the Blue Jays. Based on a report from Aaron Gleeman of The Athletic, that could possibly be the beginning of what turns into a extra everlasting transfer to the keystone because the membership ponders Lewis’s defensive future.
Lewis is among the many league’s most spectacular younger hitters, though he’s been hampered by accidents so far in his profession. The primary general choose of the 2017 draft has been nothing wanting electrical on the plate when wholesome sufficient to play all through his time within the majors, with a .286/.345/.552 (146 wRC+) slash line since his debut again in 2022. He’s finished extra of the identical to this point this season, as he’s slashed a wonderful .259/.322/.557 (140 wRC+) in 227 journeys to the plate between stints on the injured listing attributable to quad and hip accidents. Amongst hitters with not less than 200 plate appearances this 12 months, Lewis’s .299 remoted slugging share ranks fifth within the majors behind solely Aaron Decide, Shohei Ohtani, Kyle Tucker, and Kerry Carpenter.
Regardless of possessing one of many league’s most potent bats, nonetheless, Lewis’s glove stands out as a severe query mark. Whereas Statcast’s Outs Above Common metric has usually seemed upon his work on the sizzling nook considerably favorably (+2 OAA on the place for his profession), Fielding Bible’s Defensive Runs Saved has been much less type with a -2 DRS in simply 35 video games on the place this 12 months. Superior defensive metrics require a lot bigger pattern sizes to stabilize than the 700 innings Lewis has posted a 3rd base to this point in his profession, however the eye check and conventional defensive stats aren’t notably forgiving relating to the 25-year-old’s efficiency both.
Lewis has dedicated 11 errors in 84 video games on the sizzling nook, ten of which have been throwing errors. That’s a worrying whole at a place that prioritizes the fielder’s arm as a lot as third base does, and even regulars on the sizzling nook who’re usually thought to be under common defenders like Rafael Devers and Austin Riley don’t commit throwing errors at a clip that elevated. By comparability, Devers has dedicated 11 whole throwing errors at third base because the begin of the 2023 season, whereas Riley has dedicated that very same quantity because the begin of the 2022 marketing campaign. That quantity of errors is available in pattern sizes of greater than 2,000 and three,000 innings respectively, figures which each dwarf Lewis’s innings whole on the place.
Given Lewis’s lackluster throwing potential, it’s maybe no shock that the membership would think about transferring him to the keystone. Based on Gleeman, Lewis has been taking common observe reps at second base lately previous to yesterday’s in-game debut on the place, and membership officers are presently “evaluating” whether or not to make use of Lewis at second or third base in the long run. At present, the membership is with out shortstop Carlos Correa attributable to plantar fasciitis and is counting on a patchwork infield whereas mixing and matching between Lewis, Brooks Lee, Willi Castro, Jose Miranda, and Edouard Julien. As soon as Correa returns to reclaim the shortstop job, nonetheless, Gleeman means that the Twins plan to put in Lewis and Lee as their long-term solutions on both aspect of him and easily haven’t determined which place which participant will play.
Lee is thought to be a stronger defender in comparison with Lewis and figures to profile because the superior defensive possibility at each positions. Gleeman notes particularly that Lee’s superior throwing arm may make him a “extra pure” match on the sizzling nook, but additionally means that Lewis is “considerably apprehensive” about studying the brand new place on the fly. After all, these issues probably wouldn’t be a big think about the long run, because the Twins may dedicate Lewis to studying his new place in the course of the coming offseason and Spring Coaching in the event that they resolve on the keystone as his long-term defensive dwelling.
Putting in both Lee or Lewis at second base would probably spell the tip of Julien’s time on the place. The 25-year-old loved a sensational rookie marketing campaign final 12 months as he slashed a wonderful .263/.381/.459 in 408 plate appearances because the membership’s major second baseman. He’s a under common defender on the place, nonetheless, and his 2024 marketing campaign has left a lot to be desired offensively as he’s struck out at a 34.7% clip whereas watching his stroll charge dip from 15.7% final 12 months to a considerably much less spectacular 12.7% this season. It’s a considerably related state of affairs for third baseman Jose Miranda, who misplaced his common job within the Twins’ infield with a lackluster offensive efficiency and can also be usually thought to be a under common defender. Waiting for 2025, it’s attainable that each Julien and Miranda may look to compete with Alex Kirilloff for taking part in time at first base whereas additionally filling in at their respective positions elsewhere on the infield when accidents come up all year long.
