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Brooks Lee was, by general acclaim, one of the best hitters available in the 2022 MLB Draft, after spending three years playing for his dad at Cal Poly. The Twins were ecstatic to have him fall to them at eighth overall, and just two years later, he is primed for his debut at Target Field.
Age: 22 (DOB: 02/14/2001 – Happy Early Birthday, Brooks!)
2023 Stats (AA/AAA): 125 G, 567 PA, .275/.347/.461, 39 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 84 RBI, 7 SB, 9.9% BB, 16.0% K
ETA: 2024
2023 Ranking: 1
National Top 100 Rankings:
BA: 13 | MLB: 18 | ATH: 31 | BP: 16
What’s To Like
Like many of the prospects who rate this highly on team and national lists, Lee had been on the radar of professional scouts since his early teens. He was drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the 35th round coming out of high school, and the only reason he wasn’t taken much, much higher than that (i.e.: the first round), was because of his steadfast commitment to play in college for his dad, Larry Lee, in San Luis Obispo, CA.
You would be right to assume that growing up with a dad-cum-coach put Lee on a developmental trajectory few players anywhere are able to match. He not only developed the requisite physical attributes for stardom, but came to understand the game (on a team and a personal level) much deeper than your typical prospect. While he may hold some bias, take it from Larry:
“That’s what the great players have. They have that ability to know where they’re supposed to be and know what the pitcher is trying to do," Larry said. "It’s pretty cool to listen to him. He talks like he’s a 20-year big-league veteran. When it comes to baseball, he’s usually the smartest guy in the room; that’s including coaches. I would hire him right now, if it was possible.”
Beyond those intangibles, there’s also those physical attributes, and the main one I’m going to point out is that Lee is also a switch-hitter. While they are few and far between these days, Twins fans had been watching a pretty good one for a while now, in Jorge Polanco. While I don’t think Polanco is a perfect comparison to Lee (I’d like to think there is more Mauer than Polanco to the new guy), I do think that’s the type of floor we’re looking at. Lee is capable of hitting a bunch of doubles (Lee finished second in the Texas League with 31 on the season last year, and played 41 fewer games at the level than the guy who hit 33), 20-homer power, and good BABIP from either side of the plate.
If you are into local Minnesota ties for your favorite players as well, Lee spent the summer of 2020 playing in the Northwoods League, for the Willmar Stingers. He batted .345/.393./.473 there as a 19-year-old, before breaking out in a big way for his dad’s team the following collegiate season.
What’s Left to Work On
Lee spent most of his 2023 season with the Wichita Wind Surge, earning a callup to the St. Paul Saints at the beginning of August. In Double A, Lee hit .292/.365/.476 in 87 games, before finishing with a .237/.304/.428 line in 38 games at Triple A. He picked up some power momentum in the final month of the season with St. Paul, slugging .523 in September, but the Twins will want to see that overall line rise quite a bit in a league where the average OPS was nearly .800.
The 2023 season also saw Lee struggle a bit more against left-handed pitching than he has probably been used to. He had an .860 OPS as a lefty, versus .603 as a righty. I’ll point out that fewer than 20 percent of his plate appearances came against lefthanders, so perhaps this can just be chalked up to minimal opportunity. But it is something he will want to improve upon. In limited time the year before, his splits favored batting from the right side (.818 OPS as lefty, .935 as righty).
There is also the problem of the Twins' major-league roster. Carlos Correa is entrenched at shortstop, Royce Lewis at third base, and now Edouard Julien at second. In the minors thus far, Lee has seen very little exposure to positions other than shortstop. I think Lee absolutely can play shortstop in the majors; he has put questions around that (from me, anyway) to rest.
But he also should start being shuffled around the diamond this season just so he doesn’t get thrown into the fire at a position to which he is not accustomed when a need arises. He has the arm to play third, and at second base, he would surely be excellent.
What’s Next
Lee will find himself back with the St. Paul Saints to start the season, and barring injuries on the major-league roster, he will likely spend the bulk of his time there in 2024. From a player perspective, I don’t see any reason why he couldn’t be an early callup like Julien was last year, especially if he shows his stuff in spring training and hits the ground running back in Triple A. But from a roster perspective, the problem Lee will have is that he is not yet on the 40-man roster. Players like José Miranda, Yunior Severino, and even Austin Martin are likely to get those opportunities before he does.
All that said, Lee will play for the Minnesota Twins during the 2024 season. He’s just one step on the ladder away, and has all the talent of a top prospect you make room for when he’s ready.
When do you think Brooks Lee will make his major league debut? What are you excited about for his future with the Twins? Join the discussion and comment below!
Interested in learning more about the Minnesota Twins' top prospects? Check out our comprehensive top prospects list that includes up-to-date stats, articles and videos about every prospect, scouting reports, and more!
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