Austin Martin, Brooks Lee, and a Changing Developmental Blueprint

[Cody Christie]

Image courtesy of © Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

 

Player development has never been a simple, linear process, but the modern version of it might be more unpredictable than ever. Organizations map out a vision for prospects when they are drafted or signed, but that vision often changes as players face better competition, adjust to new information, and learn what actually works against major-league pitching. Some players arrive exactly as advertised. Others have to reshape their identities entirely, even after they reach the highest level.

That evolution is not a failure of scouting or development. It reflects how difficult it is to project human performance years into the future. The version of a player at age 21 is rarely the same as the finished product at 27. Adjustments happen. Bodies change. Approaches shift. The result can look very different from the initial blueprint.

Take Byron Buxton as the clearest example. Early in his career, the Twins tried to mold him into a traditional leadoff hitter. The focus was on putting the ball on the ground, using his elite speed, and letting him create offense with his legs. In theory, it made sense. In reality, it limited what Buxton could become.

With time, it became obvious that the best version of Buxton is not a slap hitter. He's a middle-of-the-order force who punishes mistakes and changes games with power, while still bringing elite speed as a secondary weapon. The shift in expectations unlocked a different level of production. That same theme is playing out across the 2026 roster.

Austin Martin
Original Expectations: Coming out of Vanderbilt University, Martin built a reputation as one of the most polished bats in his draft class. His .368/.474/.532 collegiate slash line made him the No. 5 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft. His offensive identity centered around elite bat-to-ball skills, strike-zone control, and the ability to spray contact to all fields. Early returns in pro ball backed that up, including a .414 OBP in his debut season, though questions lingered about how much impact he would generate.

Updated Expectations: That question has followed him into the big leagues, and the answer has taken an unexpected shape. Over-the-fence power hasn't materialized, but Martin has leaned fully into what he does best. Over the first month of this year, he has more walks (18) than strikeouts (13), and that level of discipline has allowed him to function as a table-setter in a very different way than originally envisioned.

He may never reach the 20-home run mark, but his ability to control at-bats, use the entire field, and turn routine hits into extra bases with his legs gives him value. At 27 years old, he looks like a player who's finally settling into a sustainable version of himself after a development path that was anything but typical.

Brooks Lee
Original Expectations: Lee’s amateur track record suggested one of the safest bats in the 2022 MLB Draft. After starring at California Polytechnic State University, he entered pro ball with a reputation for elite contact skills and advanced feel from both sides of the plate. He consistently walked more than he struck out in college, ran a strikeout rate of just 11.7%, and showed the ability to drive the ball with wood bats during summer leagues. The expectation was a high-average hitter with steady production and enough strength to grow into moderate power.

Updated Expectations: His transition to the majors has not followed that script. Lee has found it difficult to maintain consistent contact, carrying a career batting average under .240. Pitchers have found ways to attack Lee and get him to chase poor pitches on the edges of the zone. At the same time, another part of his game has taken a step forward.

Through the first 28 games, he has launched five home runs, trailing only Buxton on the team. His 106 OPS+ and 109 wRC+ point to above-average offensive production, especially for a player handling a premium position. Long term, he may slide off shortstop, but the emergence of legitimate power has added a layer that was not part of his original profile.

Lee and Martin’s development arcs remind us that improvement is not always predictable. The carrying tool can regress, while another tool rises to take its place. What matters is the overall package, not whether it matches the initial report—and that package can change over time, too.

The idea of a fixed player archetype is fading. Development is more fluid now, shaped by data, experience, and a willingness to adapt. Players are trying a wider variety of things, to find the version of themselves that works once they get to the highest level.

For the Twins, that has meant rethinking what success looks like for players like Buxton, Martin, and Lee. The original expectations still matter, but they no longer define the outcome. In many cases, the best version of a player is the one that no one fully saw coming.

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Can Lee and Martin continue to meet their updated expectations? Leave a comment and start the discussion.

 

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[DJL44]

Development never really stops. Players are always adjusting.

[LeatherAntenna]

8 minutes ago, DJL44 said:

Development never really stops. Players are always adjusting.

Or bodies develop as they age in their 20’s.  Like David Ortiz, with the Twins he was a strong but slender man with the Twins, and then one year in Boston he’s turned into the Incredible Hulk.  Must have been the Boston Harbor sea food..

[Western SD Fan]

Something should have been mentioned about Martin going back to his approach that he had when he was at Vanderbilt this season.  I think that has greatly helped him this season and, so far, has changed his career trajectory.  Preseason, he looked like a player that was going to be lost in the shuffle.  Now he looks like he should be getting daily playing time.  

I agree that Lee's future is not at SS.  It could be at 2nd or 3rd or likely a glue player like Kyle Farmer if his defense can become serviceable.  Lee seems to be a person willing to tinker or continue to work and try to figure things out until they pull him from the lineup.

[MinnInPa]

i think Lee has been unfairly treated ..its really only his 3rd year?? i still believe he will become a .275 + hitter.. lord knows we need a lot more of them. so sick of all of our K Kings for past 5 years or so ...  send Wallner down NOW !!!

[Parfigliano]

 Can't hit multi-run HRs without guys like Martin that can get on base.   I hope the TC front office/organizational coaching has finally realized this and leaves contact hitters like Martin alone to do what they do best.

 

[stringer bell]

8 minutes ago, MinnInPa said:

i think Lee has been unfairly treated ..its really only his 3rd year?? i still believe he will become a .275 + hitter.. lord knows we need a lot more of them. so sick of all of our K Kings for past 5 years or so ...  send Wallner down NOW !!!

On the hitting side, Lee has been mildly disappointing in his career. He’s also been revealed as lacking in the two tools required to be an excellent defensive shortstop—range and arm—Brooks doesnt have poor skills and i think he could be above aversge defensively at third and maybe second. However, he has to hit to be a good player.

Commenting on the quote below (seems to be a format issue). I can’t be completely critical of trying to get more slug from Martin. Because of his limited power, he has to be elite at on-base skills and above-average defensively and on the bases to be a major league regular  If he had 20 homer/30 doubles power, he wouldn’t have to be that much above the norm to be a positive  

 

 

8 minutes ago, Parfigliano said:

 Can't hit multi-run HRs without guys like Martin that can get on base.   I hope the TC front office/organizational coaching has finally realized this and leaves contact hitters like Martin alone to do what they 

[ToddlerHarmon]

The article does not mention that the Twins tried to change Martin in the minors before seeing whether his contact skills could play, whereas they let Lee suffer and work things out in the majors. Because of this, the time it took to arrive at a useful player was much longer for Martin.

Some of this was circumstance rather than differences in developmental philosophy, but both strategies began to implement after last year's trade deadline.

Is there a lesson? I hope so, and I hope the Twins have learned it.

[DJL44]

29 minutes ago, Western SD Fan said:

I agree that Lee's future is not at SS.  It could be at 2nd or 3rd or likely a glue player like Kyle Farmer if his defense can become serviceable.  Lee seems to be a person willing to tinker or continue to work and try to figure things out until they pull him from the lineup.

Lee's switch hitting could allow him to play every day while platooning with other players throughout the infield. 

[WarPath1211]

Truth be told, Brooks Lee in my mind really only has one path left to being an above-average MLB hitter, and he's currently following it, at least right now.

Brooks really doesn't hit the ball hard. He's decent at making contact and avoiding strikeouts, but he chases too much which suppresses his walk rate, and he's too slow to get much out of a slash-and-dash profile with groundballs and liners in the gaps.

So how does a guy who doesn't have raw power or speed, and with decent contact skills but middling plate discipline, produce offensively? Well, Brooks has been doing the one thing that can make this work: he's pulling the ball in the air down the line at a high rate. You don't need as much power to slug as the fences are closer down the lines, and you don't need as much speed either to get extra bases.

This is pretty much how Isaac Paredes has succeeded for years despite below-average at best raw power, raw speed, and athleticism, by poking balls in the air dead-pull. However, Paredes probably also has better plate discipline than Brooks has displayed, and Paredes also has been passable in the field, while Brooks has been below adequate thus far.

I think it's reasonable to think Brooks can improve in these areas to fit this profile long-term; he certainly has a better chance of that in my mind than suddenly gaining a ton of raw bat speed or being able to run faster. There is a path, but I think it's become clear that it's narrow given Brooks' lack of athleticism.

[Nshore]

It'll be interesting to see what happens with Marek Houston.  Some seemed to already have their minds made up when he barely had his shoes laced up that he was a good field/no hit player.  Now he's hitting.

[Trov]

The article highlights what is a frustration I have had with player development for years.  In particular for hitters.  You draft or trade for a player because of something you like about them.  Then you go ahead and tell them we want to change everything that has made you successful, because there might be a better way to go. 

As pointed out, Buck was coached different ways and despite cursing the minors when he got up to MLB level they kept changing his swing and he was in his head so much all the time.  When he finally said enough, I am going to do me, he took off. 

Martin similar, we traded for him, and right away said all that stuff that made you the top 5 pick scrap that, we want you to become more aggressive at the plate, and try to be more of a HR hitter.  He was the good player and said okay lets try it your way coaches, and it failed.  When he was on his last chance, he said I am going to do what I know, and he is showing his way that he did all his life, maybe is working for him. 

Lee, he is a little different story, as I do not think the Twins did much to tinker with him, but he has needed to make some adjustments over the years.  I feel like sometimes coaches feel like they need to get a player to make adjustments before we learn if it is needed. You see issues that may get exploited and then say we need to fix this issue that will be an issue in future.  Only, it may not be an issue in the future, and you create bigger problems

[bean5302]

1 hour ago, MinnInPa said:

i think Lee has been unfairly treated ..its really only his 3rd year?? i still believe he will become a .275 + hitter.. lord knows we need a lot more of them. so sick of all of our K Kings for past 5 years or so ...  send Wallner down NOW !!!

The dichotomy here is hilarious. Send Wallner down... Lee hasn't been given a fair shake, LOL.

Lee is a terrible defender who has never hit and has 80% the total plate appearances as Wallner. Lee's been allowed to play terribly for extended periods of time and has never been given a reset in AAA, meanwhile, Wallner has a bad 2-4 week period and he gets demoted.

[bean5302]

6 minutes ago, Nshore said:

It'll be interesting to see what happens with Marek Houston.  Some seemed to already have their minds made up when he barely had his shoes laced up that he was a good field/no hit player.  Now he's hitting.

There's reason to be cautiously optimistic about Houston hitting well enough to punch a ticket to MLB. He's in Cedar Rapids and basically holding his own at the plate as a 22 year old college draft pick who made it to junior year. He honestly needs to make it to AA this year if he's going to stay projectable.

Average high level prospect promotion path from college is 2-3 years before MLB.

[bean5302]

Austin Martin is way outperforming expectations right now. Not my expectations, the metrics. Adjusting his walk rate to a reasonable level and his xBA you get .257/.337/.366 OPS .703 wRC+90 based on his terrible base running this year.

[Doctor Gast]

From '20 until recently, the Twins screwed up many of their players' swings by over-tweaking them to max out the HRs. I agree with many that Martin was always a contact hitting 2Bman. To increase his value, they tried to make him into a slugging SS, then later an OFer. We've needed a good 2Bman for a long time. If the Twins had left him alone, he could have been up a lot sooner, & making an impact on the Twins. IMO, he could have changed the outcome of the team the last few years.