Twins Daily 2024 Top Prospects: #2 Brooks Lee, SS

[Steve Lein]

The penultimate prospect on Twins Daily’s 2024 Top Prospects countdown is a player you should see plenty of with the major-league team during the coming season. While he is no longer atop this board, that is no fault of switch-hitting shortstop Brooks Lee.

Brooks Lee was, by general acclaim, one of the best hitters available in the 2022 MLB Draft, after spending three years playing for his dad at Cal Poly. The Twins were ecstatic to have him fall to them at eighth overall, and just two years later, he is primed for his debut at Target Field.

Age: 22 (DOB: 02/14/2001 – Happy Early Birthday, Brooks!)
2023 Stats (AA/AAA): 125 G, 567 PA, .275/.347/.461, 39 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 84 RBI, 7 SB, 9.9% BB, 16.0% K
ETA: 2024
2023 Ranking: 1

National Top 100 Rankings:
BA: 13 | MLB: 18 | ATH: 31 | BP: 16

What’s To Like
Like many of the prospects who rate this highly on team and national lists, Lee had been on the radar of professional scouts since his early teens. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 35th round coming out of high school, and the only reason he wasn’t taken much, much higher than that (i.e.: the first round), was because of his steadfast commitment to play in college for his dad, Larry Lee, in San Luis Obispo, CA.

You would be right to assume that growing up with a dad-cum-coach put Lee on a developmental trajectory few players anywhere are able to match. He not only developed the requisite physical attributes for stardom, but came to understand the game (on a team and a personal level) much deeper than your typical prospect. While he may hold some bias, take it from Larry:

“That’s what the great players have. They have that ability to know where they’re supposed to be and know what the pitcher is trying to do," Larry said. "It’s pretty cool to listen to him. He talks like he’s a 20-year big-league veteran. When it comes to baseball, he’s usually the smartest guy in the room; that’s including coaches. I would hire him right now, if it was possible.”

Beyond those intangibles, there’s also those physical attributes, and the main one I’m going to point out is that Lee is also a switch-hitter. While they are few and far between these days, Twins fans had been watching a pretty good one for a while now, in Jorge Polanco. While I don’t think Polanco is a perfect comparison to Lee (I’d like to think there is more Mauer than Polanco to the new guy), I do think that’s the type of floor we’re looking at. Lee is capable of hitting a bunch of doubles (Lee finished second in the Texas League with 31 on the season last year, and played 41 fewer games at the level than the guy who hit 33), 20-homer power, and good BABIP from either side of the plate.

If you are into local Minnesota ties for your favorite players as well, Lee spent the summer of 2020 playing in the Northwoods League, for the Willmar Stingers. He batted .345/.393./.473 there as a 19-year-old, before breaking out in a big way for his dad’s team the following collegiate season.

What’s Left to Work On
Lee spent most of his 2023 season with the Wichita Wind Surge, earning a callup to the St. Paul Saints at the beginning of August. In Double A, Lee hit .292/.365/.476 in 87 games, before finishing with a .237/.304/.428 line in 38 games at Triple A. He picked up some power momentum in the final month of the season with St. Paul, slugging .523 in September, but the Twins will want to see that overall line rise quite a bit in a league where the average OPS was nearly .800.

The 2023 season also saw Lee struggle a bit more against left-handed pitching than he has probably been used to. He had an .860 OPS as a lefty, versus .603 as a righty. I’ll point out that fewer than 20 percent of his plate appearances came against lefthanders, so perhaps this can just be chalked up to minimal opportunity. But it is something he will want to improve upon. In limited time the year before, his splits favored batting from the right side (.818 OPS as lefty, .935 as righty).

There is also the problem of the Twins' major-league roster. Carlos Correa is entrenched at shortstop, Royce Lewis at third base, and now Edouard Julien at second. In the minors thus far, Lee has seen very little exposure to positions other than shortstop. I think Lee absolutely can play shortstop in the majors; he has put questions around that (from me, anyway) to rest.

But he also should start being shuffled around the diamond this season just so he doesn’t get thrown into the fire at a position to which he is not accustomed when a need arises. He has the arm to play third, and at second base, he would surely be excellent.

What’s Next
Lee will find himself back with the St. Paul Saints to start the season, and barring injuries on the major-league roster, he will likely spend the bulk of his time there in 2024. From a player perspective, I don’t see any reason why he couldn’t be an early callup like Julien was last year, especially if he shows his stuff in spring training and hits the ground running back in Triple A. But from a roster perspective, the problem Lee will have is that he is not yet on the 40-man roster. Players like José Miranda, Yunior Severino, and even Austin Martin are likely to get those opportunities before he does.

All that said, Lee will play for the Minnesota Twins during the 2024 season. He’s just one step on the ladder away, and has all the talent of a top prospect you make room for when he’s ready.

---

When do you think Brooks Lee will make his major league debut? What are you excited about for his future with the Twins? Join the discussion and comment below!

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[Jocko87]

Quote

dad-cum-coach

Interesting new term.

Its usually a concern when a former #1 prospect slips down the rankings but when the new #1 is a top 20 overall we can live with it.  Good for the whole organization.  Baring another non-option signing the runway is pretty clear for him to be rotated up early this year.

[cmoss84]

Willmar Stingers reference...I love it!!!

[CCHOF5yearstoolate]

15 minutes ago, Jocko87 said:

Interesting new term.

Maybe it was meant to be "dad-become-coach" ?? I made an ill-advised google search to see if I was missing something with that term - apparently not!

[DJL44]

The baseball smarts remind me of Molitor or Ripken Jr. His fundamentals are terrific which will allow him to play above his athletic abilities. The only reason to keep him in the minors is to develop his switch hitting.

I like Correa but I would consider trading Correa to make room for Lee when he's ready.

[2wins87]

25 minutes ago, Jocko87 said:

Interesting new term.

 

9 minutes ago, CCHOF5yearstoolate said:

Maybe it was meant to be "dad-become-coach" ?? I made an ill-advised google search to see if I was missing something with that term - apparently not!

I think it's meant to be the Latin "plus".  He's a dad and coach

[Steve Lein]

33 minutes ago, Jocko87 said:

Interesting new term.

17 minutes ago, CCHOF5yearstoolate said:

Maybe it was meant to be "dad-become-coach" ?? I made an ill-advised google search to see if I was missing something with that term - apparently not!

I'm going to jump in here and note that this was a change made in editing... so not my term🤣

However, I'm not going to argue that it doesn't work, because it does. Latin to demonstrate something serves dual purposes. e.g.: along with, or plus.

Lets get back to discussing Lee, now!

10 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

The baseball smarts remind me of Molitor or Ripken Jr. His fundamentals are terrific which will allow him to play above his athletic abilities. The only reason to keep him in the minors is to develop his switch hitting.

I actually wanted to make a comparison to Ripken on this front. Lee very much gives me that kind of a vibe for his type at that shortstop position.

[CCHOF5yearstoolate]

35 minutes ago, 2wins87 said:

I think it's meant to be the Latin "plus".  He's a dad and coach

 

24 minutes ago, Steve Lein said:

I'm going to jump in here and note that this was a change made in editing... so not my term🤣

However, I'm not going to argue that it doesn't work, because it does. Latin to demonstrate something serves dual purposes. e.g.: along with, or plus.

This is one of those cases where technically it works, but maybe it's best to leave that one out of the arsenal lol

[Steve Lein]

19 minutes ago, CCHOF5yearstoolate said:

This is one of those cases where technically it works, but maybe it's best to leave that one out of the arsenal lol

I don't disagree 😅

[chpettit19]

Very intrigued to see Lee this year. Even starting in spring training. He scuffled in AAA, and I'd bet that's probably the most he's struggled for more than about a week in his entire baseball playing life. He seems to have a great idea of what it's going to take to reach his goals, and by all accounts puts in the work to make it happen. Will be fun to watch his first few ABs in the spring and see what he's looking like going into the year. 

I'm also interested to see what, if any, further 26-man moves they make before opening day. I'd argue there's an everyday lineup spot open right now, and I'm intrigued to see if they give it to a young guy (Larnach or Miranda most likely) or if they bring in another vet. I can see the argument for both sides, and really hope anyone they bring in would either have options or be clearly above average. If they don't make a move for a vet I agree with the article that Lee still isn't likely to debut early because of his lack of 40-man spot right now. Far more likely that spot goes to guys who have already debuted over Lee, or even Martin. You don't often feel that a team coming off an ALDS run is in transition, but that's how this team feels to me. Lots of different ways they can go with their 13th position player spot to start the year. I don't see Lee as being high on the list of possibilities, though. Just the nature of the beast when it comes to options and 40-man spots.

[Nashvilletwin]

1 hour ago, DJL44 said:

The baseball smarts remind me of Molitor or Ripken Jr. His fundamentals are terrific which will allow him to play above his athletic abilities. The only reason to keep him in the minors is to develop his switch hitting.

I like Correa but I would consider trading Correa to make room for Lee when he's ready.

Careful, with comments like your last sentence you are practically touching the third rail for a lot of our fellow TDers.  You might be better off suggesting cutting social security.

Of course, in a year or two you’d be absolutely correct if Lee becomes who we think he can be.  By the end of ‘25, there is a high likelihood Lee is our best offensive and defensive (assuming Miller is still on the farm) shortstop.  But trading CC will be hard because he has a no trade clause and we’d have to eat salary.

 Let’s just be grateful for CC’s outstanding play and leadership for the time being and see how things develop.

[Fatbat]

I’m not saying its going to happen in April but what if Lee’s ST says he belongs on the 26 man.  Where do you fit him in? Or do you leave him in AAA to steal that extra year of control? What is best for the organization as a whole if its 100% clear that Lee is ready for the show?

[mike8791]

Nice article, but I think there is one glaring omission.  If Lee's value is so high wouldn't he be more useful to the Twins as a trade piece to acquire a #1/2 starter.  I've seen mention that the Marlins in particular need a SS and thus Lee could very well be sufficient(or with minor additions) to nab Luzardo.  With the Twins supposedly in a win-now mode, doesn't it make sense for the FO to explore such a deal now?

There is no clear position for Lee with Lewis, Correa, and Julien set.  Julien might substitute for Lee but the latter would generate much more interest as a SS.  I would hate to lose Lee but if the Twins want to be serious contenders for WS players, this is exactly the type of trade they should be making!

[Steve Lein]

3 minutes ago, Fatbat said:

I’m not saying its going to happen in April but what if Lee’s ST says he belongs on the 26 man.  Where do you fit him in? 

I think, if something like this were to happen where there is no way he can be left off, it's Julien becoming a full-time-ish DH and Lee slots in at second base.

[sweetmusicviola16]

My prediction is Brooks Lee will become a permanent Twin in mid to late June. Once the team admits that Carlos Santana is done. Brooks got over the hump in AAA in September and will prove by the end of May that he has nothing more to prove and is ready for the ML.

By early August E Rod will show the same as Brooks and be brought up after Kepler is traded away. Good times ahead for Twins position prospects. Now to get that pitching pipeline unclogged.

[Steve Lein]

2 minutes ago, mike8791 said:

Nice article, but I think there is one glaring omission.  If Lee's value is so high wouldn't he be more useful to the Twins as a trade piece to acquire a #1/2 starter.  I've seen mention that the Marlins in particular need a SS and thus Lee could very well be sufficient(or with minor additions) to nab Luzardo.  With the Twins supposedly in a win-now mode, doesn't it make sense for the FO to explore such a deal now?

There is no clear position for Lee with Lewis, Correa, and Julien set.  Julien might substitute for Lee but the latter would generate much more interest as a SS.  I would hate to lose Lee but if the Twins want to be serious contenders for WS players, this is exactly the type of trade they should be making!

To be honest, I'm not trading Lee in a package for Luzardo. Off the top of my head, the only pitcher at this point I would move him for is Paul Skenes, which is not a thing that would happen. I get the idea, but I also am not doing something like this.

And frankly, I can see a situation where Lee moves Julien off a position. He would be an decent upgrade defensively at second base. Then there is the idea that instead of needing to make someone like Farmer, Castro, or Martin a full-time player in the case of an injury, I'd much rather have Lee available for that.

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, Steve Lein said:

I actually wanted to make a comparison to Ripken on this front. Lee very much gives me that kind of a vibe for his type at that shortstop position.

Interestingly, Lee ditched the majors for Cal Poly because his dad managed there, and Ripken ditched college for the Orioles because his dad coached there.

[Fatbat]

6 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

Interestingly, Lee ditched the majors for Cal Poly because his dad managed there, and Ripken ditched college for the Orioles because his dad coached there.

2 dads that raised their boys the right way. 

[wabene]

A hot spring will not be enough to get Lee up. Does anybody remember Miranda's 1.200+ OPS last spring followed by a .566 OPS in 40 major league games? When viewing offensive stats consider the competition. What pitchers is he facing? Single A guy? Double A guy? It's similar to the Arizona Fall League where your guy is raking, but nobody sent their good pitchers. If Lee is up for opening day, it means the big league infield roster was hit with the plague. 

[Nashvilletwin]

26 minutes ago, chpettit19 said:

Very intrigued to see Lee this year. Even starting in spring training. He scuffled in AAA, and I'd bet that's probably the most he's struggled for more than about a week in his entire baseball playing life. He seems to have a great idea of what it's going to take to reach his goals, and by all accounts puts in the work to make it happen. Will be fun to watch his first few ABs in the spring and see what he's looking like going into the year. 

I'm also interested to see what, if any, further 26-man moves they make before opening day. I'd argue there's an everyday lineup spot open right now, and I'm intrigued to see if they give it to a young guy (Larnach or Miranda most likely) or if they bring in another vet. I can see the argument for both sides, and really hope anyone they bring in would either have options or be clearly above average. If they don't make a move for a vet I agree with the article that Lee still isn't likely to debut early because of his lack of 40-man spot right now. Far more likely that spot goes to guys who have already debuted over Lee, or even Martin. You don't often feel that a team coming off an ALDS run is in transition, but that's how this team feels to me. Lots of different ways they can go with their 13th position player spot to start the year. I don't see Lee as being high on the list of possibilities, though. Just the nature of the beast when it comes to options and 40-man spots.

Agree 100% - there is one more open position player spot available on the roster.  Assuming no injuries, there are three options for filling it (ranked in the order I personally prefer).

1. Bring in a new big bat player, likely a RH outfielder (ideally one who can play CF, but I still kinda like Soler). 

2. Give the spot to Larnach or Martin - our two highest highest ranked OF call-up options.  Larnach has MLB experience, but Martin bats RH, can play CF, can play non 1B IF too, has more speed, and has more options.  If no one is added, this is the most likely main event battle of ST (with the last bullpen spot being the only other one). Martin seems more like a better fitting (and possibly better playing) Gordon. 

3. Give the spot to an IFer - Miranda, Lee or (less likely) Severino.  The roster already has seven IFers: Correa, Lewis, Julien, Kiriloff, Santana, Farmer and Castro (on an emergency basis). Adding another IF, even contemplating Kiriloff playing some OF, seems less likely.  More likely, an injury, coupled with whomever is hottest during ST, will be the reason one of those three breaks camp with the big club.

[DJL44]

16 minutes ago, wabene said:

A hot spring will not be enough to get Lee up. Does anybody remember Miranda's 1.200+ OPS last spring followed by a .566 OPS in 40 major league games? When viewing offensive stats consider the competition. What pitchers is he facing? Single A guy? Double A guy? It's similar to the Arizona Fall League where your guy is raking, but nobody sent their good pitchers. If Lee is up for opening day, it means the big league infield roster was hit with the plague. 

Plus, he will get maybe 5 at-bats vs LHP in Spring Training. He needs 50-100 ABs versus lefties to know whether he's ready for a promotion.

[chpettit19]

26 minutes ago, Nashvilletwin said:

Agree 100% - there is one more open position player spot available on the roster.  Assuming no injuries, there are three options for filling it (ranked in the order I personally prefer).

1. Bring in a new big bat player, likely a RH outfielder (ideally one who can play CF, but I still kinda like Soler). 

2. Give the spot to Larnach or Martin - our two highest highest ranked OF call-up options.  Larnach has MLB experience, but Martin bats RH, can play CF, can play non 1B IF too, has more speed, and has more options.  If no one is added, this is the most likely main event battle of ST (with the last bullpen spot being the only other one). Martin seems more like a better fitting (and possibly better playing) Gordon. 

3. Give the spot to an IFer - Miranda, Lee or (less likely) Severino.  The roster already has seven IFers: Correa, Lewis, Julien, Kiriloff, Santana, Farmer and Castro (on an emergency basis). Adding another IF, even contemplating Kiriloff playing some OF, seems less likely.  More likely, an injury, coupled with whomever is hottest during ST, will be the reason one of those three breaks camp with the big club.

Soler is my #1 target as far as just FAs goes now. I think plugging him in as the everyday DH with some OF time against lefties would be great for this lineup.

Martin is interesting to me. I'm generally not a fan of giving opening day jobs to guys who've never seen an MLB pitch unless they're someone like Jackson Holliday. Wouldn't claim it's the end of the world if they go with him, but if they're just going to use him as a short side of a platoon bat in the majors I'd prefer they let him continue to develop in AAA to start the year and give Larnach 1 more chance as the starting DH on opening day.

I think Miranda is still hurt (based on his comments the other week) so I think he's in a tough spot for opening day. I'm less concerned with position, though, and more concerned about getting the best bat possible into the lineup (which is why I prefer Soler). I don't want anything to do with Buxton as a full-time DH so I'd be happy to use that spot for the best bat I can get and figure things out from there. Will be interesting to see what they do come opening day. Nice to have some decent options, though!

[Mike Sixel]

1 hour ago, Fatbat said:

I’m not saying its going to happen in April but what if Lee’s ST says he belongs on the 26 man.  Where do you fit him in? Or do you leave him in AAA to steal that extra year of control? What is best for the organization as a whole if its 100% clear that Lee is ready for the show?

You never know the future.....like holding Strasburg out to rest him his rookie year! You take the chance to win when you have it, because the M&M boys might get injured and your long term plans can be shot.

That said.....he won't be, and they shouldn't make decisions on ST stats, IMO. 

My feeling is that this board vastly undervalues Lee (not the rankers, clearly) and he will be much better in AAA than most here expect. He'll also waste most of the year there, and unless they move Lewis to the OF or Julien to first/in a trade, he'll never give the Twins all the value he can because others will be blocking him. 

[Mike Sixel]

38 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Plus, he will get maybe 5 at-bats vs LHP in Spring Training. He needs 50-100 ABs versus lefties to know whether he's ready for a promotion.

That could take 2 years......

[chpettit19]

13 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

That could take 2 years......

He had 104 ABs vs lefties last year. It it takes 2 years to get 50-100 ABs vs lefties moving forward it's because he was hurt.

[Mike Sixel]

Just now, chpettit19 said:

He had 104 ABs vs lefties last year. It it takes 2 years to get 50-100 ABs vs lefties moving forward it's because he was hurt.

ok, so it could take a year...... So, a whole year before even considering if he should come, according to that post.

[Fatbat]

10 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

You never know the future.....like holding Strasburg out to rest him his rookie year! You take the chance to win when you have it, because the M&M boys might get injured and your long term plans can be shot.

That said.....he won't be, and they shouldn't make decisions on ST stats, IMO. 

My feeling is that this board vastly undervalues Lee (not the rankers, clearly) and he will be much better in AAA than most here expect. He'll also waste most of the year there, and unless they move Lewis to the OF or Julien to first/in a trade, he'll never give the Twins all the value he can because others will be blocking him. 

I understand the possibility of wasting time as much as its ok to let him develop because its never a waste to play every day to develop his skills at the appropriate level. Its a double edged sword because you don’t actually know how well he will play in MLB until he actually plays in MLB.  
there is always a way to add the right player into a lineup if he will make the team better. Julien a DH is the simplest lineup change but I can think of others. I just think its awesome that we have these conversations instead of talking about a lack of depth. 

[chpettit19]

6 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

ok, so it could take a year...... So, a whole year before even considering if he should come, according to that post.

Yeah, not saying I necessarily agree with that post, but it shouldn't take 2 years. I'd assume they're more concerned with his lefty swing being ready than righty based on the sheer number of ABs he'll get from each side. But if the expectation is that he's showing he's ready to step in and be an everyday player I'd certainly like to see him improve upon his .603 OPS against lefties. Don't think you hold him back because of that, but expecting to see 50 ABs against them with better production isn't too crazy, I don't think.

[DJL44]

6 minutes ago, Mike Sixel said:

ok, so it could take a year...... So, a whole year before even considering if he should come, according to that post.

Statcast, Stabilization Rates, and Data-Driven Decisions (redscontentplus.com)

If they don't use data, they're just guessing that he's ready. It takes 60-120 plate appearances to get good data. The prior 100 plate appearances (2023) say he's NOT ready. All I'm saying is they should get an equal amount of plate appearances that say he IS ready before he's promoted.

[Fatbat]

1 minute ago, DJL44 said:

Statcast, Stabilization Rates, and Data-Driven Decisions (redscontentplus.com)

If they don't use data, they're just guessing that he's ready. It takes 60-120 plate appearances to get good data. The prior 100 plate appearances (2023) say he's NOT ready. All I'm saying is they should get an equal amount of plate appearances that say he IS ready before he's promoted.

I completely understand that issue and that Lee has to develop his craft against lefties. Is there any data that can support getting that specific development in AAA vs. MLB if all other developmental factors point to an MLB promotion is in order?