Brooks Thomas Lee (born February 14, 2001) is an American professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball positions, baseball or softball fielding position between second base, second and third base, which is considered to be among the Defensive spectrum, most demanding defensive positions. Historically, the ...
for the
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
of
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB).
Amateur career
Lee attended
San Luis Obispo High School
San Luis Obispo High School, also referred to as "San Luis High" and "SLO High", is an American public high school in San Luis Obispo, California. It is the only non-Continuation high school, continuation public high school within the city. The ...
in
San Luis Obispo, California
; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...
. He batted .438 his freshman season and as a junior, he hit .462. As a senior in 2019, he batted .405 with 13 doubles and 25 RBIs over 23 games. He was considered a top prospect for the
2019 Major League Baseball draft
The 2019 Major League Baseball draft was held from June 3 to 5, 2019. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to MLB teams. The draft order was set based on the reverse order of the 2018 MLB season standings. In addition, compensation picks ...
but withdrew his name the day before, telling teams he would fulfill his commitment to attend
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo or Cal Poly) is a public university in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States, - Cites the location of the university and shows that the university ...
to play
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
for the
Cal Poly Mustangs
The Cal Poly Mustangs are the athletic teams representing California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. The university fields twenty teams and competes in NCAA D ...
. He was still selected by the
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
in the 35th round as a courtesy pick. After graduating, he spent the summer playing in the
West Coast League
The West Coast League (WCL) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Alberta. The WCL was previously named the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League (WCCB ...
for the
Corvallis Knights
The Corvallis Knights, founded as the Aloha Knights, are a collegiate summer baseball team located in Corvallis, Oregon. Founded in 1990 in Beaverton by Dan and his brother Joe Segel, the Knights moved to Corvallis from Gresham in 2007. They ...
and was named the league's top prospect after hitting .333 with three home runs, 35 RBIs and 12 stolen bases over 43 games.
During the first semester of Lee's freshman year, he hyperextended his knee and underwent surgery. He missed the beginning of the 2020 season due to recovery and appeared in only two games before the
college baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
season was cancelled due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. That summer, he played in the
Northwoods League
The Northwoods League is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league. All players in the league must have National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. The league is amateur, and players are not ...
for the
Willmar Stingers
The Willmar Stingers are a baseball team that plays in the Northwoods League, a collegiate summer baseball league. The Stingers played their inaugural season in 2010. The team plays its home games at Baker Field at Bill Taunton Stadium.
On June ...
. In 2021, as a redshirt freshman, Lee played in 55 games in which he
slashed
Ash are a Northern Irish rock band formed in Downpatrick, County Down in 1992 by vocalist and guitarist Tim Wheeler, bassist Mark Hamilton and drummer Rick McMurray. As a three-piece, they released mini-album '' Trailer'' in 1994 and full-lengt ...
.342/.411/.626 with ten home runs, 57 RBIs, and 27 doubles (a Cal Poly record). He committed a total of six errors over the course of the season for a .974
fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a baseball positions, defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putout ...
. He made All-American by various media outlets and was named the
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's NCAA Division I, Division I. The conference was origina ...
Co-Field Player of the Year as well as the Big West Conference Co-Freshman Field Player of the Year. He was also a finalist for the
Brooks Wallace Award
The Brooks Wallace Award is an award given by the College Baseball Foundation (CBF) to the best college baseball shortstop of the year. The award has been given annually since 2004. Until 2008 the award was presented to the nation's most outstand ...
. Following the season's end, he spent time playing in the
Cape Cod Baseball League
The Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL or Cape League) is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league located on Cape Cod in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. One of the nation's premier collegiate summer leagues, the league boasts over 1,000 forme ...
for the
Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox
The Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox, or Y-D Red Sox, are a collegiate summer baseball team based in South Yarmouth, Massachusetts. The team is a member of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and plays in the league's East Division. The Red Sox play th ...
. Over 21 games, he batted .405/.432/.667 with six home runs. He was also named to the
USA Baseball Collegiate National Team with whom he spent part of the summer. Lee entered the 2022 season as a top prospect for the upcoming draft. Over 58 games, Lee batted .357/.462/.664 with 15 home runs, 55 RBIs and 25 doubles to get named Big West Field Player of the Year for the second straight season. He was also awarded the Brooks Wallace Award. Following the season's end, he traveled to
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
where he participated in the Draft Combine.
Professional career
The
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team is named afte ...
selected Lee in the first round with the eighth overall selection of the
2022 Major League Baseball draft
The 2022 Major League Baseball draft took place on July 17–19, 2022, in Los Angeles. The draft assigned amateur baseball players to Major League Baseball (MLB) teams. The draft order was based on the reverse order of the 2021 MLB season standin ...
. He signed with the team for $5.6 million.
Lee made his professional debut with the
Rookie-level
Minor League Baseball (MiLB) is a professional baseball organization below Major League Baseball (MLB), constituted of teams affiliated with MLB clubs. It was founded on September 5, 1901, in response to the growing dominance of the National L ...
Florida Complex League Twins and was promoted to the
Cedar Rapids Kernels
The Cedar Rapids Kernels are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and play their home games at Veterans Memorial Stadium (Cedar Rapids), Veter ...
of the
High-A
High-A, officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing, is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A and D ...
Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
after four games. After 25 games with Cedar Rapids, he was promoted to the
Wichita Wind Surge
The Wichita Wind Surge are a Minor League Baseball team of the Texas League and the Double-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Wichita, Kansas, and began play in 2021 at Equity Bank Park.
The Wind Surge were supposed to be ...
of the
Double-A Texas League
The Texas League is a Minor League Baseball league which has operated in the South Central United States since 1902. It is classified as a Double-A league. Despite the league's name, only its five South Division teams are actually based in the ...
. Over 31 games between the three teams, he slashed .303/.388/.451 with five home runs and 15 RBI.
To open the 2023 season, Lee returned to Wichita. In early August, he was promoted to the
St. Paul Saints
The St. Paul Saints are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. They are located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and have played their home games at CHS Field since 2015. They previ ...
of the
Triple-A International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
. Over 125 games between the two teams, Lee slashed .275/.347/.461 with 16 home runs, 84 RBI, and 39 doubles.
He was assigned back to St. Paul to open the 2024 season. Lee made his big league debut against the
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. One of the AL's eight chart ...
on July 3, 2024. In the fourth inning he recorded his first career MLB hit, a single off
Keider Montero
Keider Eduardo Montero (born July 6, 2000) is a Venezuelan professional baseball pitcher for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2024.
Career
Montero signed with the Detroit Tigers as an international fre ...
.
Personal life
Lee's father,
Larry
Larry is a masculine given name in English, derived from Lawrence or Laurence. It can be a shortened form of those names.
Larry may refer to the following:
People Arts and entertainment
* Larry D. Alexander, American artist/writer
* Larry Boo ...
, is the head baseball coach at Cal Poly. He is named after
Brooks Robinson
Brooks Calbert Robinson Jr. (May 18, 1937 – September 26, 2023) was an American baseball player who played his entire 23-year career in Major League Baseball as a third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles from 1955 to 1977. Nicknamed "Mr. Hoove ...
.
References
External links
Cal Poly Mustangs bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Brooks
2001 births
Living people
All-American college baseball players
Baseball players from San Luis Obispo, California
Cal Poly Mustangs baseball players
Cedar Rapids Kernels players
Florida Complex League Twins players
Fort Myers Mighty Mussels players
Major League Baseball shortstops
Minnesota Twins players
St. Paul Saints players
United States national baseball team players
Wichita Wind Surge players
Willmar Stingers players
Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox players
21st-century American sportsmen