"Made me want to play baseball" - Twins' Royce Lewis opens up on idolizing Yankees icon Derek Jeter 

Minnesota Twins third baseman Royce Lewis has been impactful for his team since returning from injury. And his admiration for former New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter has never been a secret either, as the Twins star recently discussed how Jeter inspired his baseball career.

In an interview with MLB.com, Lewis talked about his childhood hero. Lewis drew a parallel between his ethnic background with Jeter's, serving as an inspiration for him

Lewis said:

"He means a lot to me because he is the guy that [made me] want to play baseball, and that’s all I wanted to do. Because of his parents being biracial – a black dad and a white mother – I have the same parents. So I wanted to be just like him. I wanted to do what he did and play baseball for 20-plus years."

Although Lewis's MLB career so far has been often disrupted by frustrating injuries since his debut in 2022, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 MLB draft is adamant about having a career that lasts as long as his idols. He is also keen on sharing the space with Jeter and learning ways to improve his game:

"So far, I’ve been blessed to have that opportunity of everything going smoothly and going that way. I just can’t wait to meet him one day and learn how to better my game and my life."

Royce Lewis pays homage to Drek Jeter in first visit to Yankee Stadium

Earlier in the season when the Minnesota Twins traveled to the Bronx to take on the New York Yankees, Royce Lewis paid homage to Derek Jeter at his former stomping ground.

During his first plate appearance at Yankee Stadium against Luis Gil on June 5, Lewis held his hand in the air toward the home plate umpire, something Jeter used to do quite often during his illustrious career. Lewis homered later in the game but ended up losing 9-5 on the night.

Lewis' last outing for the Twins saw him make history after the star third baseman registered a double against the New York Mets on Wednesday.

It was Lewis' 100th MLB game for the Twins and his double on the night made him the Twins player with the second most extra-base hits in their first 100 games.