After being taken first overall by the Minnesota Twins in the 2017 amateur draft, Junipero Serra High School out of San Juan Capistrano, CA’s Royce Lewis was selected.
However, other names had been more frequently mentioned as having a better chance of being selected, and his inclusion was a bit of a surprise.
Despite playing shortstop for most of his senior season, he had previously played third base and outfield and was regarded to have the ability to play centerfield, too.
This athlete was described as a very agile hitter and fielder who had the potential to become a powerhouse player in the future.
When it was widely reported that the Twins had cut their losses on University of Louisville 1B Brendan McKay because of what were perceived as high financial demands, they reportedly signed Lewis before the draft.
On the 17th of June, the Twins agreed to terms with Lewis, including a $6,275 million signing bonus.
As a rookie, Lewis was assigned to the GCL Twins. It all started on June 26th, when he hit his first professional home run in just his second at-bat.
He hit .279/.381/.407 in 54 games between the Gulf Coast League and the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Midwest League, with 54 runs scored and 27 RBIs.
He also snagged 18 bases in 21 tries. In 2018, he played for both Cedar Rapids and the Fort Myers Miracle in the Florida State League, where he hit .293/.353/.451 in 121 games to solidify his standing as a prospect. In addition to his 74 RBI and 83 runs scored, he smacked 29 doubles and 14 homers in the season.
How Tall Is Royce Lewis?
Royce Lewis stands at a height of 1.88 m.