Former No. 1 overall pick sent down to minors

Aug 17, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis (23) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers during the second inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The struggling Minnesota Twins are sending a former No. 1 overall pick to the minor leagues.

Royce Lewis, the first overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft, is headed to Triple-A St. Paul, the Twins confirmed Tuesday. The move calls into question whether the 26-year-old still has a long-term future in the organization.

Royce Lewis is headed to Triple-A St. Paul. #MNTwins are purchasing the contract of Orlando Arcia, according to a source.

This will be one of several moves for the Twins today as they're out of 40-man spots and need to make room for Arcia.
— DanHayesMLB (@DanHayesMLB) May 19, 2026

The Twins’ decision certainly is not without justification. Through 31 games this season, Lewis is hitting a paltry .163 with three home runs. The third baseman is carrying a .539 OPS and has struck out in 37 of his 104 at-bats.

Lewis was once viewed as a potential franchise cornerstone, though injuries delayed his MLB debut until 2022. By 2023, he looked like he was set to fulfill that potential, as he hit .309 with 15 home runs in 58 games and authored a memorable postseason moment.

Since then, the injury issues have continued, and Lewis’ numbers have fallen year by year. He hit .237 last season, but those numbers have fallen off a cliff this season.

The Twins are 22-26 entering play Tuesday, and changes were perhaps inevitable. It remains to be seen whether Lewis will come back this season, but he’ll probably have to show some progress at Triple-A to do so.