Brooks Lee is entering a critical juncture in his career with the Minnesota Twins. Over his first two seasons, Lee's batting average sits at .232/.279/.357, with 19 home runs and a 75 wRC+ across 712 plate appearances.
His challenges at the plate have been evident, often chasing pitches outside the zone, leading to weak contact and a high whiff rate. Despite these struggles, Lee has shown flashes of power and maintained a low strikeout rate.
As he heads into his third season, he's at a pivotal point, needing to solidify his place in the majors.
The Twins are giving Lee the nod as their Opening Day shortstop, but with promising talents like Kaelen Culpepper starting at Triple-A and 2025 first-round pick Marek Houston not far behind, the clock is ticking. So, what steps has Lee taken to secure his spot and fend off the competition?
Drafted as a switch-hitter, Lee excelled more from the left side during his college days at Cal Poly and in the minors. However, that success hasn't translated to the big leagues.
His left-handed performance has been underwhelming, with a 68 wRC+ over 482 plate appearances, compared to a 77 wRC+ from the right side in 230 appearances. Acknowledging this disparity, Lee has focused on refining his left-handed swing this offseason, while maintaining stability from the right.
Lee shared, “[I’m] just trying to find one swing that I could stick with left-handed, not make so many adjustments.” This offseason, he aimed to hit the ball to the opposite field more, a strategy he felt was lacking last year. By seeing the ball deeper, he hopes to improve his plate discipline and reduce chasing.
Statcast data shows Lee's contact point from the left side was 29.0 inches in front of his center of mass in 2025, slightly deeper than in 2024. While this adjustment didn't significantly improve his results, Lee has tweaked his stance, standing closer to the plate and deeper in the box as a lefty. This setup naturally promotes deeper contact points, and further adjustments could be on the horizon.
Working with new hitting coach Keith Beauregard, Lee might explore creating more space between himself and the pitcher to enhance his pitch recognition. If he can maintain his prowess against fastballs and reduce his chase rate on breaking pitches, Lee could evolve into the switch-hitter the Twins have been eager to see since his impressive 2024 debut, potentially delivering 20+ home run seasons.
However, modest improvements may not be enough to secure his role, as Culpepper could seize the opportunity. Lee's future might lie in a utility role, shuffling between infield positions, or facing a demotion to Triple-A if his struggles persist. His development as a left-handed hitter will be crucial in determining his long-term standing with the Twins.