Brooks Lee is Built for the Big Moment

[Sam Caulder]

Image courtesy of © Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Brooks Lee has been a polarizing player over the last few years. The former No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft came with plenty of expectations, and when you’re selected that high, there’s naturally going to be pressure attached to every step of your development. Lee was viewed as one of the top prospects not only in the Twins’ system, but across all of baseball. Throughout his climb through the minors, he produced like it. The switch-hitting infielder batted .289/.360/.476 in the minor leagues, while showing the type of advanced approach at the plate that hinted at the upside of a steady middle-of-the-order bat in the majors.

Because of that, the expectations surrounding Lee became massive. While 2026 has been the best year of his major-league career so far, it still feels like there’s another level waiting to be unlocked. The overall numbers are solid—not jaw-dropping, but certainly not disappointing, either. Entering Wednesday’s game, Lee was hitting .259 with a .315 on-base percentage and 16 extra-base hits across 51 games. His .731 OPS is 77 points higher than where he finished last season, and overall, there’s been noticeable growth offensively. His at-bats look more competitive, his contact quality (while still not great) has improved, and he’s looked more comfortable against big-league pitching. All in all, Lee is taking legitimate steps forward at the plate.

But one thing that hasn’t gotten talked about enough is just how clutch he’s been. It feels like every time the Twins find themselves in a big spot with multiple runners in scoring position, Lee finds a way to come through. Considering the fact that he spent the first three-quarters of the season to date hitting eighth or ninth in the batting order, it’s pretty remarkable that he currently leads the Twins with 30 RBIs. That’s a player consistently delivering when the opportunities matter most.

Tuesday night in Chicago was just the latest example. The Twins and White Sox found themselves locked in an extra-inning battle that stretched into the 11th inning. Once again, Lee stepped to the plate in a massive situation, this time with the bases loaded.

After quickly falling behind 0-2 in the count, Lee stayed composed. He ripped a bases-clearing double off the wall in right field that broke the game open and sealed the victory for Minnesota. It was another huge moment, and at this point, it’s becoming expected. That wasn’t the first time Lee has delivered in a pressure-packed situation this season. As a matter of fact, he’s been at his best in those moments. Despite only having 17 high-leverage plate appearances so far this year, Lee is 6-for-15 in those situations with 11 of his 30 RBIs coming in key spots.

That’s an absurd percentage of run production coming in the biggest moments of games, and right now, there may not be anybody on this Twins roster more trustworthy when the pressure ramps up. What makes it even more impressive is that it hasn’t only shown up offensively.

Lee’s defense has been far from spectacular this season; there’s really no way around that. He’s been a pretty weak defender overall, and that’s the area of his game that clearly needs the most polishing. But even with some of the defensive struggles, he’s still managed to come through in huge moments in the field, too.

The play that stands out most came a few weeks ago in Cleveland. In another extra-inning game that went to the 11th inning, the Guardians hit a ball sharply up the middle that looked like it had a chance to tie the game. Lee ranged over, made a sliding stop, popped up quickly, and fired a strong, accurate throw to first base to end the game. It was a massive moment against a division rival, and once again, Lee was the player who delivered. Though it was marred by a questionable obstruction call against Royce Lewis, Lee also made a great stop and heads-up throw in a tense late-game situation against the Brewers earlier this month.

That’s the thing about certain players; even when their overall performance still has room for growth, they can rise to the occasion when the game is on the line. Some guys just seem to slow the moment down better than others. Increasingly, Lee feels like one of those guys. There’s absolutely still another level he can reach offensively. His power could continue developing, and his plate discipline can improve even more. Defensively, there are still plenty of adjustments to be made, especially as he moves from shortstop to third base. But those things can all improve with time and experience. The clutch factor is different, and that’s something not every player has.

For a Twins team that has struggled at times this season (and in years past) to capitalize in high-leverage situations offensively, Lee has quietly become one of the few players consistently providing exactly that. It’s easy to focus on the overall slash line or compare him to the expectations that came with being a top-10 pick. But what Lee is doing in the biggest moments deserves far more attention than it’s getting.

Whether it’s a bases-loaded at-bat in extra innings or a game-saving defensive play against a rival, Lee continues to look completely comfortable when the pressure is at its highest. For the Twins, that trait may end up becoming one of the most valuable parts of his game.

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[Patzky]

Ty France was Brooks lite last spring. 

[jimmiexx]

Remember when Brooks was the worst shortstop in the entire league and wasn't ever going to get better?

[NYCTK]

17 minutes ago, jimmiexx said:

Remember when Brooks was the worst shortstop in the entire league and wasn't ever going to get better?

He's second to last in the league in DRS at SS. So...are you talking about today? 

This article is extreme hyperbole, I'm surprised it didn't mention that his dad was a coach. Brooks Lee deserves playing time, will have to move off SS eventually, and still profiles as a utility infielder on a decent team. 

[Patzky]

5 minutes ago, NYCTK said:

He's second to last in the league in DRS at SS. So...are you talking about today? 

This article is extreme hyperbole, I'm surprised it didn't mention that his dad was a coach. Brooks Lee deserves playing time, will have to move off SS eventually, and still profiles as a utility infielder on a decent team. 

He never took ballet lessons but he took phone calls.

[Nshore]

If Culpepper and Houston eventually pan out to cover 3B and SS, I could see Lee crossing the diamond and moving to 1B - providing his bat continues to improve.  It might be preferable to searching through dumpsters to find a first baseman every year.

[killercarewoliva]

29 minutes ago, Nshore said:

If Culpepper and Houston eventually pan out to cover 3B and SS, I could see Lee crossing the diamond and moving to 1B - providing his bat continues to improve.  It might be preferable to searching through dumpsters to find a first baseman every year.

whatever happened to the idea of play? who is hot at the moment? Mr. arcia and nobody's going to hit 500 but that's where he's at right now. after a few games on the diamond. he also plays some pretty decent defense, a former All-Star right now. that's what he looks like an All-Star and he hardly gets to play. the two people who are playing shortstop other than him are not considered for string players, but here we have a first string player. we're on the verge of making it into the playoffs in a very bad division. but it could happen if you play your best players. I really don't understand this. he's on the roster. our second baseman is continually showing he can't catch the ball. all that well. Arcia is fluid as a defender.

[Nshore]

44 minutes ago, killercarewoliva said:

whatever happened to the idea of play? who is hot at the moment? Mr. arcia and nobody's going to hit 500 but that's where he's at right now. after a few games on the diamond. he also plays some pretty decent defense, a former All-Star right now. that's what he looks like an All-Star and he hardly gets to play. the two people who are playing shortstop other than him are not considered for string players, but here we have a first string player. we're on the verge of making it into the playoffs in a very bad division. but it could happen if you play your best players. I really don't understand this. he's on the roster. our second baseman is continually showing he can't catch the ball. all that well. Arcia is fluid as a defender.

I think we're talking about 2 different things.  Houston playing SS for the Twins is years down the road, if ever. 

I don't have a problem with Arcia getting more at bats.  IMO they should sit Bell and his .216 average butt down for awhile as the DH.   But they paid Bell and by god they're going to play Bell!  The thing that holds Arcia back in the field is he's got the same problem as Lee - a step slow.

[Richie the Rally Goat]

3 hours ago, jimmiexx said:

Remember when Brooks was the worst shortstop in the entire league and wasn't ever going to get better?

Remember when Brooks Lee was a shortstop?

[Linus]

I’m glad that Lee is improving with the bat. But right now he’s basically league average which is improvement but really illustrates where he was before. 

[NYCTK]

25 minutes ago, Linus said:

I’m glad that Lee is improving with the bat. But right now he’s basically league average which is improvement but really illustrates where he was before. 

And worth noting his wOBA is 50 points higher than his xwOBA, meaning he's finding holes that his hitting profile doesn't suggest will continue to find. 

Still too early to write him off, but he STILL profiles as a bad fielding infielder with a below average bat. 

[Hunter4848]

1 hour ago, NYCTK said:

And worth noting his wOBA is 50 points higher than his xwOBA, meaning he's finding holes that his hitting profile doesn't suggest will continue to find. 

Still too early to write him off, but he STILL profiles as a bad fielding infielder with a below average bat. 

Fake news. He'd the most clutch hitter in baseball history and we should lock him up to a multi year deal, at least according to the Twinsdaily propaganda arm...

[Maybe Next Year]

Gee- just a month and a half ago the majority of the posters and writers on this web page said Lee was a bust. No defense, no offense. Send him down, 😂

[DocBauer]

I'm really hoping this is the last "Lee is a disappointment" OP we ever have to read again. And frankly, I'm TIRED of these OP's about him.

Once again, when drafted, he was  considered a marginal ML SS who would probably move to 2B or 3B. He's already proven, even with offseason work, he's only an OK ML SS. And that's OK considering his defensive ability. His recent move to 3B is PERFECT considering his tools. He has just enough quickness....not enough for SS...to react to balls hit his way. He has good hands,  a good transition of glove to hand  to make throws. His arm is average, but his throws are accurate. Despite being a limited athlete, he seems to have the ability to make off balance throws. And that's important. 

In regards to his BAT, I'm still confused about frustration. ONE MORE TIME, he missed ROOKIE status in 2025 by 22 AB in 2024, but SOMEHOW he's supposed to be a finished product already. Is it possible he's still growing as a HITTER? Or was he SUPPOSED to be a polished HITTER with 1.25 seasons of ML time under his belt? 

He's showing more power than initially expected, but is SLOWLY showing the contact bat, AVERAGE hitting bat expected.  He's just NOT hitting as expected, but in year 2 of regular ML time,  we're STARTING to see a viable ML BAT. 

Confidence and experience makes a difference.  Currently, he's accepting his role at 3B, and he should. 

Lee is on an uptick, and that shouldn't be ignored. The original HIT and OB prospectis might be proven wrong. But a decent AVG with a solid OB, and decent power can't  be ignored

 

 

[Hunter4848]

7 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I'm really hoping this is the last "Lee is a disappointment" OP we ever have to read again. And frankly, I'm TIRED of these OP's about him.

Once again, when drafted, he was  considered a marginal ML SS who would probably move to 2B or 3B. He's already proven, even with offseason work, he's only an OK ML SS. And that's OK considering his defensive ability. His recent move to 3B is PERFECT considering his tools. He has just enough quickness....not enough for SS...to react to balls hit his way. He has good hands,  a good transition of glove to hand  to make throws. His arm is average, but his throws are accurate. Despite being a limited athlete, he seems to have the ability to make off balance throws. And that's important. 

In regards to his BAT, I'm still confused about frustration. ONE MORE TIME, he missed ROOKIE status in 2025 by 22 AB in 2024, but SOMEHOW he's supposed to be a finished product already. Is it possible he's still growing as a HITTER? Or was he SUPPOSED to be a polished HITTER with 1.25 seasons of ML time under his belt? 

He's showing more power than initially expected, but is SLOWLY showing the contact bat, AVERAGE hitting bat expected.  He's just NOT hitting as expected, but in year 2 of regular ML time,  we're STARTING to see a viable ML BAT. 

Confidence and experience makes a difference.  Currently, he's accepting his role at 3B, and he should. 

Lee is on an uptick, and that shouldn't be ignored. The original HIT and OB prospectis might be proven wrong. But a decent AVG with a solid OB, and decent power can't  be ignored

 

 

You might want to reread the article...

[dxpavelka]

19 hours ago, jimmiexx said:

Remember when Brooks was the worst shortstop in the entire league and wasn't ever going to get better?

I forget, was that last week or last month.  A path for Royce Lewis.  

[dxpavelka]

I know the advanced metrics guys will tell you that RBI is a terrible stat because it's merely a function of opportunity.  But some guys take advantage of that opportunity and bat 5th in Minneapolis and some guys struggle with it and bat 3rd-in Louisville, wearing StP on their hat.