It didn’t take long for Royce Lewis to remember what it feels like to hit a grand slam.
He did it four times last year. And in his first opportunity with the bases loaded in spring training, he did it again on Friday.
The young Minnesota Twins slugger went deep in the third inning of a 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox. Lewis’ homer came off minor leaguer Jordan DiValerio on a 3-0 pitch that he decided not to let go by.
“I think these guys are just like, ‘What the heck, man, I don’t know what’s going on,’” Lewis told reporters in Fort Myers, Florida. “I said the same thing. I really don’t (know). I just enjoy it. Take advantage of the opportunities when they come because they’ll go away soon. You just take advantage while you get them.”
Lewis has five grand slams in the first 66 games of his major league career. He hit one early in the 2022 season before a torn ACL in his right knee cost him almost an entire calendar year. Last season, Lewis hit four slams in just 12 plate appearances with the bases loaded, setting a franchise record. The 24-year-old did it despite being limited to only 58 games and 217 at-bats.
“Well, you almost laugh to yourself a little bit that you’re in the situation again,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters. “Even without the homer, you’re still sitting there like, ‘My god, it feels like we load the bases for this guy a lot,’ and he just keeps coming through, over and over again. It’s a good time. It’s fun. I hope we’re talking about it again in April, May and June.”