Souhan: Well-polished Lewis seems like a star in the making for Twins

FORT MYERS, FLA. — For years, the atmosphere in the Twins' spring training clubhouse was buoyed by the ebullient personalities of great athletes.

Kirby Puckett arrived before dawn, bought bagels for clubhouse workers and held court, doing stand-up comedy while sitting in front of his locker. Torii Hunter needled passersby and convened impromptu roundtables, talking about everything from fastballs to finance.

Royce Lewis, the Twins' recuperating and rising star, hopes to match their achievements. His personality is already ready for prime time.

You will not meet a 23-year-old athlete who is more polite and engaging. That's a function of nature, and nurture.

Lewis and his father, William, a former college wide receiver, have studied athletes' interviews for years, looking to emulate the most polished and impressive. They chose Derek Jeter as a role model for a young shortstop.

That's a fascinating choice for Lewis, because Puckett and Jeter offered different flavors of the same philosophy. They believed that, as franchise players, they should be prepared to speak to the media every day.

"Myself, my mom and my dad, this is how we live, this is how we communicate,'' Lewis said. "We don't turn this on and off. We like to have fun and spread positive energy and share the love.

"My dad and I broke down a lot of interviews, and we saw which ones were better, more interesting. As a fan, which answers and approaches were more enticing?"

On Friday at the Twins' spring training camp, Carlos Correa arrived in the clubhouse and later held a press conference. His long-term contract means that Lewis will need to find a new position.

Lewis said he considers himself a shortstop but cares more about recovering fully from the knee injury that ended his 2022 season and returning to the big leagues.

If that sounds like a practiced answer, well, he probably practiced it, and William probably gave him tips.

William was a sommelier and assistant manager at Morton's in Orange County when Royce was growing up. Angels players learned that if they called him, he'd keep the place open so they could eat a postgame meal.

William never talked to them about baseball, but they insisted on signing autographs that he passed on to Royce, and a couple of them — Jered Weaver and Darin Erstad — became investors in the new restaurant William started. He owns a few now.

One of the players who became a frequent late-night diner at Morton's was Hunter, who left the Twins to sign with the Angels. A few years ago, Lewis spent the winter working out with Hunter in Texas.

"We just clicked," Lewis said.

Lewis listed Correa as another shortstop he's admired. Last year, Lewis, long the Twins' top prospect, debuted in the majors, playing shortstop when Correa was on the injured list.

In 12 games, Lewis hit .300 with an .867 OPS while displaying poise at the plate and speed in the field. When Correa returned, Lewis played center field for one game, tearing the ACL in his right knee.

That ended his season. He's scheduled to meet with his doctor in Texas on March 9 for a checkup that could determine a timetable for his return to the field, likely mid-summer.

Lewis doesn't look or act like an injured player, or a rookie, bouncing around the clubhouse and greeting teammates.

"My mind-set was that I want to be a part of this team, because I've got a lot of my buddies, my best friends, on this team, and I want to be a part of it," he said. "These are my brothers."

He's asked Twins officials how they view him. "They see me as a championship player, and I appreciate that, because that's how I see myself," Lewis said. "I also see myself as a player that can play anywhere. I can see myself playing second, third, short, center, left, right.

"My gratitude for the game makes it easy to adapt very quickly."