Royce Lewis says he's avoided in-season adjustments to protect his stats

As the Twins' season largely fades into irrelevance, Royce Lewis has found himself at the center of discussion around the team over the past few days. On Thursday, cameras caught him letting out some frustration by slamming his helmet in the dugout. On Friday, he broke out of a slump with one of the best all-around games of his career, highlighted by his sixth grand slam.

But before he had that huge performance in Chicago, Lewis spoke with reporters in the visiting clubhouse and opened up about what's been a highly disappointing season. And while doing so, he made some eye-opening comments that don't exactly reflect well on him.

As laid out in a story from beat writer Dan Hayes of The Athletic (subscription required), Lewis discussed feeling uncomfortable at the plate all season and the mental isolation of slumps.

"I feel like I’m kind of on an island and trying to figure it out on my own. I haven’t felt comfortable all year. I wish I did. If I did, I think my numbers would be totally different. I’m just looking for comfort in the box."

Lewis admitting he hasn't felt comfortable all year is notable, but that's not the quote that stands out the most. In that same conversation, he said he's been hesitant to make in-season adjustments at the plate because of the effect it could have on his personal statistics, which matter for a player who is headed back to the salary arbitration process this offseason.

“It’s also hard to make a full in-season adjustment because you can try that, and those 30 games or at-bats of trial go toward your stats. Do you really want to sacrifice that? And if it doesn’t work, then you go back to what you were doing before. It’s always hard. I know (Michael) Harris (II) just did a significant change. Being under contract probably helps because he knows what he’s making that year and the year after. For someone like me, I’m fighting (to take) care of myself and my family. I don’t want to put any of those stats in jeopardy."

Even if it's understandable, to some degree, that players have to look out for themselves, you're certainly not supposed to say that part out loud. It's difficult to make adjustments during a season, but to openly admit that you're prioritizing your own numbers over what might be best for the team isn't a great look.

His comments also don't make a lot of sense, considering how poor his statistics have been this season and down the stretch of last season. Hayes noted in his story that Lewis's .628 OPS across 472 plate appearances from August 1 of last year through this Thursday ranked 218th out of 233 players with at least 400 PAs in that span. In that context, wouldn't some adjustments have a better chance of helping his individual numbers than hurting them?

Hayes' colleague, Aaron Gleeman, called out Lewis in a post on X sharing the article.

"Rough quotes from Royce Lewis, playing into every negative stereotype of someone caring about their stats over the team," Gleeman wrote. "And his stats are awful, so it doesn't even make logical sense to avoid adjustments and help."