On Wednesday, Brooks Lee made his debut for the Minnesota Twins. Lee is the number two prospect in the Twins’ organization and is the 13th ranked prospect in the MLB. Lee is a switch hitting infielder who was drafted eighth overall in the 2022 MLB Draft.
Debut
Brooks Lee was called up following Royce Lewis‘ most recent injury. Lewis went to the 10 day injured list with a right abductor strain after playing less than 30 games due to a different injury. It seemed to many that Lee may make his debut when Carlos Correa had an injury scare on a hit-by-pitch last week, but Correa ended up being fine and playing the next day.
Brooks Lee was called up to face the Detroit Tigers. He got the start at third base and batted eighth. He received a standing ovation from Twins’ fans in his first at bat. The end result of this plate appearance wasn’t ideal, though. Lee took five pitches in a row, three of them strikes, and got rung up looking. His second at bat was a different story. Lee got a fastball and lined it up the middle for his first major league hit. It didn’t take long for him to get his first major league RBI, also. In the seventh inning, Lee lined another pitch back up the middle and drove in Byron Buxton.
Lee ended his debut 2 for 4 with two singles and an RBI. The Twins lost to the Tigers, but Lee showed that he belongs at the big league level.
Following Games
On Thursday, the Twins played the Tigers again. Brooks Lee followed up his debut for the Twins with another hit and another RBI. This game was shortened due to weather so he only had three at bats, with one hit and one walk.
Friday evening, the Twins started a series against the Houston Astros. Lee had three hits in the game including his first extra base hit (a double) and two more RBI. Saturday afternoon was another, louder first for Lee. Lee hit his first major league homerun off of Hunter Brown in the third inning. He also added another two hits on Sunday.
Through his first five games, Lee is batting .474 with more hits (9) and RBIs (6) than games played.
On The Rise
Brooks Lee had the potential to make the team out of spring training, but was injured early on. He completed a rehab assignment and once healthy, Lee played for the St. Paul Saints, the AAA affiliate of the Twins. Lee batted .329 in 20 games. He had 21 RBIs and seven homeruns.
Lee was drafted in 2022 and has been a top prospect since. It only took Lee about a year and a half to be at AAA. Many have been calling for Brooks Lee to make his debut for the Twins sooner than later, and their wishes have now true.
2024 Season
So far, Lee is already living up to expectations. As a switch hitter that can play both positions on the left side of the infield, along with second and first bases if really necessary, Lee should be a staple in the Minnesota Twins’ lineup. Rocco Baldelli, head coach of the Twins, often likes to switch things up and play matchups. Since Lee can hit well from both sides of the plate, he has made his case to stay with the big league club.
If Royce Lewis has to miss more time after the All-Star break, Lee will stay. If not, Baldelli and the Twins may have a difficult decision to make. Fans and media have been calling for Kyle Farmer to be designated for assignment. He is a clubhouse favorite and was a very important piece of the playoff team in 2023, but he has struggled mightily this year. If the Twins are looking to make another playoff push in 2024, the hard decisions may need to be made. It is difficult to argue with success and productivity so Brooks Lee may force Minnesota to make a spot for him.
***
Check out more baseball content here!
Want to write with us? Click here to apply!
Follow Fantom Sports on Twitter!