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In the long term, Lee’s racquet will play everywhere and will establish himself as a pure hitter rather than a stomper. He’s grown to 6ft 2 and over 200lbs, so he’s less likely to stay at shortstop and eventually move to third base where he’s got a light enough arm to survive. He doesn’t have the typical performance profile as a third baseman, but could also be a very good second baseman.
Regardless, he ticks as many boxes as the twins are looking for. Great racquet-to-ball ability, could unleash more power and has defensive versatility.
The draft slot associated with the 8th pick is $5,439,500.
You can read Jamie Cameron’s profile on Brooks Lee here.
Baseball America’s scouting report ranks second overall:
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The son of Cal Poly coach and renowned hitting guru Larry Lee, Brooks has long been an elite hitter and would have been a top-50 pick out of high school were it not for his strong commitment to playing for his father in college . A hamstring injury and the coronavirus pandemic limited him to two at bat as a freshman, but he lived up to his reputation as a top-flight batsman when play resumed. Lee hit .342 to become the Big West Conference co-player of the year as a redshirt freshman and torched the Cape Cod League with a .405/.432/.677 slash for Yarmouth-Dennis in the summer. He followed that up with a stellar performance for USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team, hitting a .357 with 15 home runs and 1.125 OPS that spring, all career highs. Lee is a gifted switch hitter with exceptional hitting skills. He takes short, balanced swings with elite racquet speed from the left and puts balls hard on all courts. His right-handed swing isn’t as fluid or powerful, but he has the hand-eye coordination to make constant contact and spray balls across the field. He has elite strike zone discipline, crushing fastballs and driving pitches in all parts of the zone and projects himself as a potential plus-plus hitter. He has rarely faced good breakers and will need to prove he can handle them. Lee has gained weight as he has matured and is now a physical specimen with strong legs, broad shoulders and a chiseled torso. His strength and ability to shoot balls give him at least an average power potential and probably more. Lee is an instinctive defender who positions himself well at shortstops and converts routine plays with his reliable hands and above-average accurate arm, but his mass and below-average speed limit his range. He plans to move to second or third base where he should be an average defender. Lee’s only major concern is his health. He missed time in high school with multiple back injuries and had to undergo hamstring surgery as a true freshman. His physical peak physique raises concerns about how his body will age. Still, Lee’s top-notch punching power makes him a likely top-five pick in the draft. As long as he stays healthy, he projects himself into being a Switch-hitting infielder, hitting in the top half of an average and power lineup.
MLB.com scouting report where he ranked 5th overall:
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Talk to a scout about the Switch-hitting infielder and the first thing that strikes you is his otherworldly bat-to-ball skills. He almost never bats and has made consistent hard contact everywhere he’s been, including his 21-game streak with a wooden bat at the Cape, where he hit .405/.432/.667 with six homers in just 84 at-bats met. He can hit the ball from either side of the plate, and the more physical he’s become, the easier it is to project him above-average power in the future.
That physicality will mean he’s very likely to get away from shortstop at the next level, with third being the most likely target to capitalize on his above-average arm. As the son of a coach, he thinks like one on the field and plays like a veteran, giving him more confidence that he will maximize all his tools as a pro.
ESPN’s scouting report, where he placed 6th:
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Lee was a Rand freshman out of high school but had a back problem that put teams off trying to match his number. He’s done nothing but hit and play shortstop effectively for both Cal Poly and summer, but every scout I’ve spoken to believes he’ll slip quickly to third base in pro ball.
Lee also doesn’t have the mobility/racquet speed/brute power plus you want to see in a top pick and he hasn’t played in an elite conference, but he’s an everyday slam dunk racquet that will give you confers some defensive value.
