At just 18 years old, Royce Lewis had no problem in his first taste of professional baseball.
On Thursday, Lewis was named the top prospect in the Gulf Coast League by Baseball America. In 133 at-bats, Lewis batted .271 on the season with 11 extra-base hits. Lewis showed tremendous discipline at the plate, drawing 19 walks to 17 strikeouts.
The top pick in the MLB Draft was also a menace on the basepaths, stealing 15 bases at the rookie level.
Here’s what Baseball America had to say about Lewis:
Lewis has an exciting blend of top-shelf tools and instincts for the game. With a high waist and wide shoulders, Lewis has outstanding bat speed and plus raw power. He makes frequent contact with a mature hitting approach, driving the ball with authority to all fields. His sharp eye for the strike-zone should make him a high on-base threat to go with his power, and his plus-plus wheels make him a power-speed threat.
Eventually, Lewis was promoted to Cedar Rapids A-ball – the level above the Gulf Coast League – where he continued his impressive play.
It’s likely he’ll start at Cedar Rapids next season.
Enlow cracks the list too
Lewis wasn’t the only Twins prospect on the list – Blayne Enlow also cracked the top 20.
Enlow was a third-round pick in this year’s draft. The 18-year-old had an ERA of 1.33 in 20 innings pitched this season.
