Brooks Lee Might Be Part of the Next Good Twins Team After All

[Cody Schoenmann]

Image courtesy of © Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Brooks Lee hit the ground running faster than Cole Thomas Allen down a Washington Hilton hallway over the first week of his major league career, hitting .458/.462/.625 with a 206 wRC+ over 26 plate appearances. The switch-hitting infielder quickly cooled off, however, hitting a far less impressive .182/.233/.270 in 159 plate appearances over the final three months of the season.

The eighth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Amateur Draft sputtered last season, too, hitting a modest .236/.285/.370 over 527 plate appearances. Netting a well-below-league-average 75 wRC+ over his first season-and-a-half in the majors, Lee also struggled in the field, netting -6 Outs Above Average (OAA) during that stretch, causing those who follow the club to question if he was playing his way out of the Minnesota Twins' long-term plans.

Through 36 games played this season, however, the 25-year-old has broken out at the plate, rekindling the flame of optimism surrounding the former top prospect. Over 136 plate appearances, Lee is hitting .278/.331/.437 with a 114 wRC+. The Cal Poly product has also hit five home runs, continuing the plus-power profile he flashed during his sophomore campaign last season, in which he hit 16 dingers.

Some of the same weaknesses remain in Lee’s player profile, particularly defensively, despite last night's heroics. Minnesota’s shortstop has netted -4 OAA, making him the fifth-worst defender at the position this season. He also has one of the weaker arms of all middle infielders in baseball, continuing a career-long trend. Still, Lee performing like one of the best offensive shortstops in the sport has largely offset his defensive shortcomings, making him one of Minnesota’s steadiest presences early this season.

The past two seasons, Lee struggled from the left side of the plate, posting a 68 wRC+ over 482 plate appearances. The switch-hitting shortstop has performed dramatically better while hitting left-handed in 2026, hitting .291/.333/.456 with a 119 wRC+ over 84 plate appearances against righties this season. Right-handed pitchers are throwing Lee more strikes this season. At the same time, Lee has been more aggressive on balls in the zone than in the past two seasons, often pulling the ball hard and in the air. Lee excelling as a left-handed hitter while holding his own from the right-handed batter’s box (106 wRC+ over 52 plate appearances) has resulted in the best month-and-a-half stretch of his young career, signaling he has finally blossomed into an above-average regular.

The 2026 Twins are not a good baseball club. In fact, they might be one of sport’s worst. Still, there will be a time when the seeds of the next Good Twins Team poke their head out of the dirt, germinate, and blossom into a postseason-contending 26-player collective. It just won’t be this season—or next; and maybe not even the next after that. Yet, if the progress Lee has demonstrated at the plate this season proves sustainable, he could be a core member of that club.

View full article

[FlyingFinn]

Many people give up on players after a SSS. He indeed may be part of the next good Twins team, as our 3B.

[Jeff K]

18 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

Many people give up on players after a SSS. He indeed may be part of the next good Twins team, as our 3B.

or 2nd.  But 3rd seems hopeful.  

[Coach Wheels]

I'll pump the brakes on what has been a very good 5 weeks for Lee. I don't believe SS is his long term position but I believe he can be a .270 hitter with doubles being part of his deal.

Royce, Wallner, and Keaschall have got to figure it sooner rather than later. The rope on Royce and Wallner can't be very long right now

[Craig Arko]

Again, consider the trajectory of Roy Smalley’s career. Are there similarities?

[Bangkok Twins Fan]

6 minutes ago, Coach Wheels said:

I'll pump the brakes on what has been a very good 5 weeks for Lee. I don't believe SS is his long term position but I believe he can be a .270 hitter with doubles being part of his deal.

Royce, Wallner, and Keaschall have got to figure it sooner rather than later. The rope on Royce and Wallner can't be very long right now

I still have faith in Keaschall, and I was hopeful that Lewis would finally stay healthy find his feet this season, but obviously this has been a dismal season for him so far. Is there hope? I honestly don't know. As for Lee, I was about ready to write him off as one of those highly touted college players that couldn't quite figure out MLB, but I'm becoming more inclined to think that he CAN be a productive player in the majors, but perhaps not as a shortstop.

[Twins_Fan_For_Life]

Is his arm strong enough for third base?

[Old Twins Hat]

Lee is the kind of fundamentally sound player that ends up on the Yankees later in his career.

[Cody Schoenmann]

50 minutes ago, Twins_Fan_For_Life said:

Is his arm strong enough for third base?

i’ve long thought 3B is Brooks’s best position. 

[TNtwins85]

24 minutes ago, Cody Schoenmann said:

i’ve long thought 3B is Brooks’s best position. 

In the past he’s looked good at third and I believe he could be great at second given a bigger runway than he’s had in the past. Not sure he has the arm for third but it’s for sure average for third. If he can be a 270/320/430 guy with 20 bombs and solid defense at either second or third that’s an Ian Kinsler style player. Definitely someone you keep around as a complimentary player on a good team.  Just need a few guys who he compliments.