The Minnesota Twins selected Junipero Serra High School out of San Juan Capistrano, CA’s high school draft, where Royce Lewis was selected first overall.
While he was deemed a top-10 prospect, other names have been more frequently mentioned as the most likely first selection.
Despite playing shortstop for the most of his senior season, he had previously played third base and outfield, and was considered capable of playing in centerfield.
As a hitter and fielder, he was noted as a very athletic player with good batting and fielding abilities.
Some reports said that Minnesota had agreed to sign Lewis before the draft for a contract that was below slot value since the Twins had withdrawn their interest in University of Louisville 1B Brendan McKay due to what were described as unreasonable financial demands.
Lewis was signed by the Twins on June 17th and received a $6.275 million signing bonus.
To begin his professional career, Lewis was allocated to the GCL Twins. On his first plate appearance of the season, on June 26th, he hit a solo home run.
First season: .279/.381/.407 in 54 games between the Gulf Coast League and the Midwest League’s Cedar Rapids Kernels, with 54 runs scored and 27 RBIs.
In addition, he snagged 18 bases in 21 chances. On his first year in the Florida State League, he divided time between Cedar Rapids and Fort Myers Miracle, where his numbers were impressive enough to confirm his status as an elite talent.
In addition to his 74 RBI and 83 runs scored, he had 29 doubles and 14 home runs to his credit.
How Old Is Royce Lewis?
Royce Lewis is 23 years old. He was born on June 5, 1999.