Meet Brooks Lee: The California Kid Making Waves in Twins' Farm System

The Minnesota Twins' roster is built on a foundation of players drafted early in the first round who graduated from their prospect rank to MLB stardom. 

Carlos Correa arrived with his middle-of-the-order bat. Byron Buxton flashed elite defense at every level. Royce Lewis got there with his grit and bounce-back mentality. 

But none of the three had as meteoric of a rise as Brooks Lee (Twins Daily's top-rated prospect in the organization). 

From raking as a star for three years at Cal Poly University, where he had a completely dominant 1.073 OPS in 115 collegiate games, to standing on the doorstep of his MLB career, Lee has had an eventful 14 months in professional ball. But he insists this is only just the beginning. 

"First and foremost, I want to continue to be a good teammate to everybody," Lee said as we watched his teammates wrap up batting practice on Wednesday afternoon. "It's been awesome to be here with everyone [in St. Paul]. We have a really great group of players so I just want to do my best for them."

His first month at the Triple-A level has brought on some new revelations for the product of San Luis Obispo, California. While he's excited to be one step closer to his dream of playing in the big leagues, he's hitting some speed bumps for the first time in his young professional career. In a very small sample size of just 20 games, Lee is slashing .256/.319/.378 (.697 OPS) with a 73 wRC+, meaning his production has been about 27 percent below the league average. 

"The pitching here has been much harder to handle compared to where I was at before. That's no secret," Lee said. "I have to do a better job of getting on base. I think I'll get where I want to be eventually. It's just going to take some time."

Lee has split time between four different minor-league levels since being drafted by the Twins with the eighth overall pick last July. That constant churning between different coaching staffs, teammates, and competition can be daunting to many, but the 22-year-old infielder is taking it all in stride. For Lee, it's all about growth. 

"I had a great off-season last year and came in with a lot more muscle. I want to set myself up to have another healthy offseason this time around," he said. "Every coaching staff and my teammates have taught me a lot about what it means to keep yourself healthy."

Speaking of his teammates, the former Mustang has had no shortage of intriguing names penciled alongside his on his team's lineup cards. From other top prospects to journeyman minor-league lifers, Lee has been able to absorb as much information as possible from his peers at every stage. 

One of those teammates many are excited to see paired with Lee is the Twins rookie sensation Royce Lewis. The former first-overall pick got to play alongside his prospect peer while rehabbing with Triple-A St. Paul in early August. While the stint was brief, it gave Twins Territory a taste of what will come. 

"It was really cool because he's just such a great player, and he backs it up by being so knowledgeable," Lee said. "It's cool to see how he goes about his business before, during and after a game."

The idea that he and Lewis could be a tandem in the Twins' infield for years to come made Lee smirk. He acknowledged that the two will do their best to build off each other's success as they continue to develop. Fans saw a preview of this potential on August 11th, when both players belted emphatic home runs, leading the Saints to a victory. 

"He's definitely got a competitive side to him, that's for sure," Lee said with a chuckle. "And then he's more animated than a lot of guys so it's really fun. The game needs more players like that. Plus, he's a California guy, so there's a little more substance to him." 

Lewis isn't the only big leaguer that Lee has been able to share a dugout with. Byron Buxton (hamstring) and Alex Kirilloff (shoulder) started their respective rehab assignments with the Saints on Wednesday night. 

"I'm sure a lot of guys are going to be following [Buxton] around and trying to pick his brain," Lee said. "It's going to be really special to look out and see him in the outfield behind me."

When he's not looking at the outfielders behind him, Lee has been taking in the experience of being in the Twin Cities for the first time. True city life has been a fun development for a kid who grew up in the California countryside in San Luis Obispo. 

"It's been really fun to be in a city like St. Paul where we can reach so much just by walking," Lee said. "I've had a truly terrible time navigating all of the one-way streets you have here, but otherwise I've been loving it."

One added benefit of having a Triple-A affiliate so close is sharing resources with the MLB club or having a quick drive over to Target Field upon getting called up. 

"Just ask Fundy," Lee exclaimed while referencing Kody Funderburk's unexpected call-up earlier this week. "He found out at like 3 PM that day and made it over to Minneapolis in no time for their game that night. That's crazy."

What's crazy is that the Twins were able to use their eighth overall pick to select a player that drew top-three talent buzz in his class and to have him standing at Target Field's doorstep just 14 months later. It may not happen this season, but Lee will eventually find himself making that drive across town for his major league debut soon. Much to his chagrin, here's hoping that it's a one-way street that leads him there. 

What do you think about Brooks Lee's first full season of professional ball? When do you think he'll debut, and what position do you want to see him play? Let us know your first impressions in the comment section below.