Twins Promote Top Prospect Brooks Lee!

Brooks Lee made news early this week when he was picked to be the Twins representative in the MLB Futures Game. It’s more likely that he won’t be appearing in that game as the Twins are calling him up to make his big-league debut. Now that he’s here, what can fans expect from Lee? Where will he play defensively? How long will he be with the Twins? Let’s explore.

Lee is a 23-year-old infielder that the Twins took with the eighth pick in the 2022 MLB Draft from California Polytechnic Institute and State University. He could have started his professional career out of high school, but he was committed to playing collegiately for his father, the head coach at Cal Poly. Minnesota signed him for $5.675 million, the fifth-highest bonus handed out in his draft class. After starting his professional career, he almost immediately became one of baseball’s top prospects. 

In 2024, Lee impressed during spring training before a herniated disc in his back sidelined him in late March. He started a rehab assignment in late May and rejoined the Saints lineup in early June. In 20 Triple-A games, he hit .329/.394/.635 (1.029) with seven home runs and five doubles. Throughout the winter, the switch hitter worked to refine his right-handed swing since it was the weaker of his two sides. Last season, he posted a .603 OPS and had a 1.121 OPS in 37 plate appearances from that side in 2024. 

Defensively, the Twins drafted him as a shortstop, and he’s continued to play regularly at that position throughout his professional career. He’s made ten starts at third base over the last two seasons and two appearances at second base. Royce Lewis suffered a groin injury on Tuesday, so Lee will likely slot into third base during his debut. Many evaluators believe he has enough arm to handle the hot corner, which might be his best long-term position as he matures physically. 

Lee was considered the top collegiate-hitting prospect in his draft class, and the Twins have aggressively promoted him throughout his career. His hit tool is very advanced, which should help him avoid prolonged slumps at the big-league level. Minnesota’s offense has been performing well in recent weeks, so Lee can hit the bottom part of the lineup to get his feet wet. He doesn’t need to be a savior for the team in 2024. Instead, Lee can serve as a supplementary piece for a team in the middle of a playoff push. 

Only three players from the first round of his draft have made their debuts, and Zach Neto is the only player to play in more than 25 games. Groin injuries can be tricky, so there are no guarantees of how quickly Lewis can recover. Lee should have some time to get acclimated to the big-league level and can force the Twins to keep him on the roster with a solid offensive performance. Is he here to stay? Only time will tell. 

Congrats to Lee and his family. What are your thoughts on his call-up? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.

Check out the exact moment that Saints manager Toby Gardenhire let Brooks Lee know that he is heading to the big leagues.