Twins’ Royce Lewis is a Dark Horse AL MVP Candidate

Last season, Royce Lewis played a crucial role in breaking the Minnesota Twins’ playoff curse, which had seen them pile up 18 consecutive postseason losses dating back two decades, to 2004.

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Despite battling through a strained hamstring that left him limited to DH duties in the wildcard round, Lewis quickly established himself as one of the Twins’ most reliable bats during their two playoff series’, consistently delivering when it mattered most, something that’s become a regular occurence early on in his career.

Lewis appeared in 58 regular-season games in 2024, recording 67 hits and an impressive .309 batting average that included 15 home runs and a .921 OPS. In the Twins’ six playoff games, Royce developed his man-strength, powering four homers over the fence and racking up 5 RBI in the process. Both metrics were playoff highs for Minnesota.

Royce Lewis American League MVP Odds

Now, four short months since their first postseason run in two decades, Minnesota Twins young phenom, Royce Lewis is quietly positioned as a dark horse contender for 2024 American League MVP.

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Seventeen players in the American League are favored over Royce Lewis in terms of odds, a relatively small number considering he hasn’t completed a full season in the league. Aaron Judge leads the AL with the best odds at +550. Lewis has the top odds among Twins players, although Byron Buxton is not far behind. Buxton’s lowest odds are on FanDuel at +6500.

MLB insider likes Lewis’ chances (if healthy)

Lewis has a history of injury issues, going back long before his bad hammy last September/October. Two torn ACLs since 2021 have been the only things holding back Royce’s quest for superstardom. MLB Network analyst Sean Casey sees it all coming together for the 24-year-old in 2024, if he can get to 140 games.

“I'm just saying man, Royce Lewis, if this guy can get 140 games… he might be in the [AL MVP] conversation.” – @TheMayorsOffice#MLBNHotStove | @Twins pic.twitter.com/duBUOuZvOv

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) February 14, 2024

Lewis is poised to be a formidable presence in the Twins lineup as they aim to replicate their success from last year and make a statement in October. If he stays healthy and performs as anticipated, the Minnesota Twins are primed to reclaim the top spot in the AL Central.

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