Brooks Lee and the Danger of Falling Into the Jose Miranda Trap

[wornsmooth]

On 8/20/2025 at 1:14 PM, Nshore said:

I'm still optimistic about Lee.  He doesn't have the greatest agility, but the Twins knew that when they drafted him.  Cal Ripken wasn't exactly Ozzie Smith, but he did alright.  Lee looks very smooth at SS, and will get better as a hitter.

As for Miranda, he suffered a very serious HBP to the helmet just as he seemed to be taking off as a hitter.  It seems to have effected him ever since.  These incidents still seem to be viewed more from a 1950's perspective than a modern view in a lot of cases.

 

 

 

 

As to hit by pitch, does anyone remember Jimmy Hall and his beaning by Bo Bolinski? He was coming off his rookie year setting homerun record for rookies(33). He was never the same. Stood as far out in batters box as could.

His performance steadily declined. (Remember this is when pitchers still had to  bat and hence "brushback" pitches were part of the game)

I always wondered what kind of level Jimmy Hall could have reached without that pitch to the head.

I find the theory of Miranda and the hit  in helmet incident very plausible as to his downward hitting slide.

 

 

 

[stringer bell]

On 8/21/2025 at 10:12 PM, RpR said:

Lee has played in 100 fewer games than Wallner,  one cannot know what the next 100 will bring.

Wallner's bat following the decline like Joey Gallo without Joey Gallo's far superior fielding glove, but at this point, Wallner's glove is improving to a degree, Lee's glove is going the other direction.

Being an infielder, Lee has a steeper hill to climb, so he had better hit well enough to over come his glove, ala Polanco.

I think it is TBD is Brooks Lee's glove is substandard at shortstop. If I recall correctly, his defensive runs saved at shortstop was zero a few days ago, so he is average at a position where elite defenders populate the sample. I don't know if he will remain at that level, but it seems he is most comfortable at shortstop. As far as his hitting goes, it is at below league average, but has been climbing towards the middle which would be a 100 OPS+. I would submit that Lee needs to hit near the middle of the pack and field near the middle of the pack of shortstops to be a regular on the 2026 Twins. I think those accomplishments are closer to his floor than his ceiling and a first round draft choice should produce more than 1 WAR, but Lee is still only 24 and has played markedly better since he became the starting shortstop.