Twins prospect Brooks Lee showing more poise as he moves closer to big leagues

SARASOTA, FLA. – Brooks Lee, in his second big-league camp with the Twins, blends in better with established major leaguers, but there are still occasional pinch-me moments for the infielder.

“I actually looked down at the plate after it was 2-0,” said Lee, referencing an at-bat against Baltimore on March 4, “and I was like, ‘oh my god, it’s Craig Kimbrel.’”

Lee lined one of the next pitches into the gap in right-center field for an RBI double against the Orioles closer, his helmet falling off his head as he briefly contemplated stretching his hit to a triple.

Even if there are reminders Lee is a young player — he turned 23 last month and he’s fresh off his first full season in pro baseball — no one needs to squint to see his potential. The switch-hitter reached Class AAA last year, a fast track after he was the No. 8 overall pick in the 2022 amateur draft.

Spring training stats, as inconsequential as they can be, highlight Lee’s growth. Through Friday, he has six hits and three doubles in eight Grapefruit League games with two strikeouts in 21 at-bats. Last year, he had seven hits and two doubles in twice as many games with 15 strikeouts in 44 at-bats.

“I’m a little more relaxed now,” Lee said. “Better head space. I didn’t know what to expect at all coming into it” last year.

The Twins view Lee, the son of longtime Cal Poly coach Larry Lee, as a guy on the cusp of the major leagues. He’s primarily playing shortstop now, but he’s expected to spend more time at third base and second base in the upcoming weeks.

“He’s not too overwhelmed with anything,” Twins bench coach Jayce Tingler said. “You watch him play defense, he doesn’t really panic. He doesn’t speed up. He just does his thing.”

Lee sounds, unsurprisingly, like a coach when he assesses last season. He set monthly checkpoints for himself to ensure he was progressing the way he wanted.

He had trouble hitting back-foot sliders for the first few months in Class AA, so that was his focus in pregame batting practice. In AAA, he felt like pitchers overpowered him with changeups. He spent the offseason working on improving his righthanded swing through mechanical adjustments and changing where he trains his eyes.

“I see the game like a coach. I don’t know how true that is all the time,” said Lee, smiling. “I hate comparing myself, but sometimes it’s necessary knowing what I can actually do to get better in a certain area of my game and how it’s going to benefit me.”

There was a lot to like about the way Lee played last year. He hit .275 with 16 homers, 39 doubles and 84 RBI in 125 games in the upper levels of the minor leagues with good defense. He had only 17 plate appearances against pitchers who were younger than him.

“I think the first year is all about learning, no matter how well you do,” he said. “Being comfortable where I’m at and where my feet are, as long as I get better every day, that’s the most important thing, especially in the minor leagues.”

There were times, Lee admits, he put too much pressure on himself. He knows he is close to the majors. Naturally, he tried to speed up the process.

“I’m not old at all, but I’m a year older,” Lee said. “I’m just more relaxed and not putting so much pressure on myself knowing that I deserve my statistics. I’m just trying to be another piece to the winning puzzle.”

Lee doesn’t have an immediate path to the majors with Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis and Edouard Julien in front of him, but if he plays well for the St. Paul Saints, the Twins will find a place for him. It could happen fast. He shook his head as he explained his reaction to seeing Kimbrel on the mound

“I was like ‘Why am I doing that,’” Lee said. “One of the things is you’re meant to be here. It’s what I signed up for. I want to be a star player just like everyone else.”