THE WORLD'S LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE SCOUTING ORGANIZATION
| 2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,801 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
2,384 MLB PLAYERS | 15,801 MLB DRAFT SELECTIONS
Create Account
Sign in Create Account
Minors  | General | 10/2/2019

Lewis making his mark in AFL

Photo: Royce Lewis (Perfect Game)




Throughout the Arizona Fall League season, Perfect Game will be chronicling the journey of alumni as they take one step closer to the major leagues. We will do so in partnership with students at The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Imagine a soft-spoken 18-year-old kid from California who’s dreamt of becoming a big leaguer like Derek Jeter since the first time he picked up a baseball. Now picture a summer afternoon in June, with family and close friends gathered near, and this unwavering vision finally becomes reality.

That was the scene two summers ago when the Minnesota Twins used the 2017 No.1 overall pick on Royce Lewis. And today, the 20-year-old Twins top-prospect’s game is catching comparison to the likes of Derek Jeter at MLB Arizona Fall League as he continues his ascension through the Minors.

“Anytime you're connected to Derek Jeter in any way, on and off the field, that pretty much tells you what type of person he is,” said Colorado Rockies AAA hitting coach and Lewis’s current hitting coach for the Salt River Rafters, Tim Dougherty. “Derek set the standard.”

Lewis opened up his AFL assignment batting .346 with 3 HRs and 10 RBI through 10 games for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League. This after a standout season in the Minors, where Lewis ascended from Advanced A to Double A with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

Lewis attributes his ability to perform on bigger stages in baseball, and the hype he received at such a young age, to high school showcases like Perfect Game.

“If you perform really well at those events - or at least just good enough - and show off your skills and your talents - it definitely puts you on stock for the draft and the incoming class for that season,” Royce Lewis said.

Lewis landed on the Top Prospect List at the 2015 PG Underclass All American Games in San Diego, Calif. The summer of 2016 proved even more magical as he stood out at the PG National Showcase in Fort Myers, Fla., earning an invitation to the Perfect Game All-American Classic. The once-in-a-lifetime event was Lewis’ stage as he was named the game’s MVP.

Playing in the Perfect Game events, as well as representing USA Baseball globally, really helped his draft stock rise prior to the MLB draft according to Lewis.

But even Lewis didn’t think No. 1 overall was in the cards. He was convinced he was going to go at No. 3 due to conversations with the San Diego Padres.

“We were all very shocked and excited, and not necessarily about being picked at No.1,” Lewis said. “As far talent, we knew I had the ability. We were just more realistic, and (I didn’t) expect anything. For that to happen was just … it made it even more special.”

With the Twins clinching the American League Central title on Tuesday, the top prospect is hoping to start a legacy that will last years in the Twin Cities.

Lewis is also cognizant of how an impactful showing at the Fall League can launch a career. Especially now that the 2018 Scottsdale Scorpion turned MLB home run champ, Pete Alonso, is now dominating for the Mets organization.

It’s obvious Lewis’s bat has shined in the Fall League thus far, but it’s been his ability to play multiple positions that’s taken notice. Despite being a shortstop by trade, Lewis has been getting meaningful looks at center field and third base as well this Fall.

Just last week, Lewis made a highlight reel catch in center as he smashed into the wall, and he then followed it up with a two-run bomb in his next at-bat.

“Royce is the type of guy that will play wherever we need him to play in order to help the team win games,” said Salt River Rafters manager Keith Johnson.

Royce takes every opportunity to get better and has coachability that is “off the charts,” Johnson also added.

Lewis’ versatility gives the Twins something to think about going forward, but if he has the choice middle infield is where he wants to break in and make a name.

“The shortstop is someone the team you can always rely on to make the play or be that leader on the field to help control the game,” Lewis said. “I'd like to be shortstop because Derek Jeter did it. And he was my role model growing up.”

And no matter what position Lewis ends up playing in MLB, coaches and teammates alike say he’s special and marvel at his work ethic.

So, regardless of how far the Twins postseason run lasts in 2019, there’s a Perfect Game alum turned MLB Fall League standout on the cusp of making the club just that much better.

“The Twins are going to be a special team for a while I believe,” Lewis said. “Hopefully, I'm just a guy that's going to be a part of the team. Something I’d tell the fans is ‘just be ready because it all started this year.’”




Minors | General | 12/13/2024

PG Down on the Farm: NL West

David Rawnsley
Article Image
It’s the time of the year again (i.e. the off-season) for the annual PG Down on the Farm feature.  We identify a top prospect in each of the 30 Major League organizations with as much Perfect Game background as possible and delve into that PG history for some insight into his development as a prospect.  Some of them might be high profile, high draft pick, ex-PG All-American talents who fans have been long familiar with.  Others might be more obscure prospects who have significantly improved either in college or as professionals.  Note that players who have used up their rookie eligibility are not considered. The idea isn’t to necessarily pick the best PG background prospect in each organization but the one who might be closest to the big leagues.  Sometimes that is the same player, other times not. And there is plenty of variation among organizations...
High School | General | 12/19/2025

Huntington Beach HS World Series Recap

Steve Fiorindo
Article Image
MVPitcher: Duncan McLeod The uncommitted junior toed the slab in three of the four games for Team Mick, tossing 3 2/3 innings.  Zero walks, zero hits and 6 punchouts for the lefty who was used both as a starter in the series clinching game 4 and he closed out game 3 on Friday in quick fashion.  McLeod was very efficient as well, needing just 42 pitches over all his outings.  In the game 4 start, over two innings he punched out 3, with one strikeout with all of his offerings.  The mid 80’s fastball regularly played up, set up with efficient use of the secondaries, with the breaking ball 73/74 and fading change-up 72-74.   Owen Bone (2026) at it again... Solo shot in the 5th to tie things up. Back to back days with a home run for Bone. #PGHS pic.twitter.com/2JC9qETI5h — Perfect Game California (@California_PG) December 13, 2025 MV Hitter: ...
Tournaments | Story | 12/19/2025

13u Tourney All-American Team

Jheremy Brown
Article Image
What a year it was in 2025 on the national landscape at the 13u level as Perfect Game continues to expand its reach around the country, providing an even bigger schedule of events coast-to-coast which has allowed players all over show out and gain their deserved recognition. Whether in Texas for the Houston 1000 or the 13u WWBA in West Palm Beach, we saw huge, eye opening performances from the players placed below, knowing that we could EASILY build a third team and likely a fourth without much effort.  As we do every year with this exercise, it's worth pointing out the trickiness of this age group and putting the teams together with the 13u group. While the players are all members of the Class of 2030, some are younger for the grade, which allowed them to play at the 12u level where's it's a smaller field, shorter mound distance and different bats, so we'll separate them out and...
Tournaments | Story | 12/18/2025

14u Tourney All-American Team

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Player of the Year: Asher Williams It was an incredible year for Williams that was rewarded with a trip to the 14U Select Fest, before some more impressive play in the fall. He came to the plate almost 250 times in PG tournaments throughout 2025 and reached base in well over half of them, hitting to a .500 AVG while slugging a 14U circuit best 12 bombs and driving in 113 runs. The numbers on the surface are ridiculous, but when you look at the high-level events he put them up in, it makes it even more impressive. Pitcher of the Year: Tristan Blalock Blalock earns this honor after a dominant 2025 where he struck out 85 batters in just 48.2 innings of work with a minuscule 1.58 ERA. This included several strong performances at many national level tournaments and showcases where he was able to bully some of the best hitters in the country. It’s hard not to fall in love with...
Draft | Story | 12/18/2025

PG Draft: Gut Feel Guys

Tyler Henninger
Article Image
While we are nearing the turn of the calendar to the 2026 year, that means we are just inching closer to the beginning of the season for many high school players and college baseball is on the horizon. We are prepping for a reshuffle of the 2026 MLB Draft Board as well here amongst the PG Draft staff. But before we get to that, we sat down and have each picked a couple of players who are in the mix to get selected in a couple of different buckets.  We have prospects who could go into the Top 30 picks or so, prospects who could be selected in the Top 5 rounds, and prospects who could go inside of the Top 10 rounds. With the draft quite far down the road and a lot of re-shuffling to be done as these players play themselves into certain spots on the draft board, our scouts picked some players who fit into these “buckets” who are gut-feel guys. These are the guys that our PG...
Tournaments | Story | 12/17/2025

15u Tourney All-American Team

Jason Phillips
Article Image
Hitter of the Year: Landon Bonner The 2028 class saw many players from across the country take the next step in their development as they entered the High School ranks. There were huge performances from highly ranked players on the PG circuit as well as some under-the-radar guys who burst onto the scene. Landon Bonner came into Sophomore National as a Top 500 ranked player and after an impressive showing, left with all eyes on him as a rankings riser in the class. The left-handed hitting shortstop from The Colony, Texas, had a summer to remember with All-Tournament Team selections in three of his next four events culminating with a historic performance at the 2025 PG 15U WWBA National Championship. The Hebron High School prep went 20-for-24 in nine games for 5 Star Mafia 15U Black with four homeruns and 12 runs batted in. He also scored 17 runs and finished with a mind-boggling 2.500...
Tournaments | Story | 12/16/2025

16u Tourney All-American Team

AJ Denny
Article Image
Hitter of the Year: Koa Romero is the Hitter of the Year for the 16u group, as he would come to every premier event of the summer and earn All-Tournament honors (Beast of the East, 16/17u WWBA, Jupiter) in every single one. Over 82 plate appearances, Romero would pump ten homeruns with forty two RBI and sixteen walks, good for a .378 average and 1.339 OPS. The performance on volume at the best events of the year pushed Romero over the edge here, as he’d hit a pair of homeruns in Jupiter (one of them at 112 EV) as an underclassmen and collect double digit hits in BOTH WWBA events with a combined six jacks over the two tournaments. It was a summer that combined performance and winning on the biggest stages for Romero. It’s a quiet left-handed swing that packs a punch. He would reap the benefits of his performances, earning a commitment to LSU and jumping to the #74 prospect in...
College | Recruiting | 12/15/2025

Recruiting Notebook: December 15

John McAdams
Article Image
Tucker Rice (27 MS) bumping up to 91; living hi-80s from real fast arm. Good SL @ 77-79 w/ depth & sold w/ intent. Loads of traits & strikes. #WWBA @PG_Uncommitted @PG_DeepSouth pic.twitter.com/DEjFqRcsIY — Perfect Game Scout (@PG_Scouting) July 6, 2025 Tucker Rice, RHP, Class of 2027 Commitment: Alabama Alabama has continued to stay red hot in the recruiting trail ever since August 1st rolled around on the calendar and have continued to stack major pieces in their ’27 class. They dip into Mississippi to land one of the premier arms and one that’s stood out on the circuit for quite some time. It’s a fast arm and the athleticism certainly shines working down the slope. The velocity has continued to tick up over the last calendar year and reached into the low-90s towards the end of the summer. He’s confident in his changeup and the breaking ball is...
Tournaments | Story | 12/15/2025

17u Tourney All-American Team

Vincent Cervino
Article Image
There’s a lot of talent throughout this 2026 class, filled with the big-name stars, to talent that spreads across the nation. It’s been a lot of fun seeing these prospects grow and develop over the years, from the days of watching some of these guys at the 13/14u days at events on the circuit, to now where they are all graduating seniors in 2026. There’s been new faces who have popped along the way over the years, even in 2026, where some players who were relatively undiscovered, have come out and made a name for themselves with a statement performance. Between the familiar and the new, there’s a lot of names on this list that are going to be quite regularly talked about on the circuit, and for good reason.  Whether it’s PG All-Americans or not, there’s a lot of names with superstar potential at the next level. We’ve got 14 PG All-Americans...
Tournaments | Story | 12/13/2025

Finest in the Field: Class of 2029

Tyler Russo
Article Image
Finest in the Field: Class of 2026 | Class of 2027 | Class of 2028 These guys might just be entering high school, but they've certainly already made a name for themselves on the national circuit, especially with their abilities on the defensive side of things.  C: Xavier Rodriguez (Logansville, GA) Rodriguez is a polished defender with real arm strength behind the dish, while showcasing the ability to impact the baseball with authority to all fields evident by thirty of his sixty-five hits going for extra-bases including seven bombs. He handles high-level pitching extremely well, commands his staff and his offensive prowess makes him a true two-way asset. 1B: Cooper Knight (Buda, TX) Knight is a smooth operator at first base with plenty of range, fluidity and agility in his footwork around the bag. Add-in a rocket for an arm, the ability to change slots and to...
Tournaments | Story | 12/12/2025

Scout Stories: Part 5

AJ Denny
Article Image
Best Game I Saw: The Dream NTL 18U vs. MBA Scout Team Murphy Jupiter always brings out the best, and we got fireworks from the jump. Turner Marshall gave The Dream an outstanding 4+ innings of work on the mound, holding a lethal MBA team at bay with Chance Dixon, Derrick Carter, and Ellis Appling providing an offensive spark out of the gate for the Georgia based boys. However, it was only a matter of time before the talent on the other side got going, as MBA erased a 3-run deficit in the 5th to take a 4-3 lead led by a Parker Loew HR. The Dream then took command again in the Top of the 6th, before MBA punched right back with a huge 5-run inning in the bottom half capped off by a clutch RBI single from Matthew Kerrigan, ending a wild sequence with tons of notable performances from two very competitive rosters. Best Tournament Performance I Saw: Surely someone has already brought this...
Loading more articles...