The Minnesota Twins selected Cal Poly infielder Brooks Lee with the No. 8 pick in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft on Sunday night. The Twins benefitted as much as any team from right-handers Kumar Rocker and Cade Horton going in the top 10 selections, as they landed Lee, who was ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the class by CBS Sports in June.
Here’s what we wrote at the time:
Lee might have the best feel for the game of any prospect on this list. (If not, then that distinction goes to Termarr Johnson.) He’s a coach’s son and a switch-hitter who should be good from both sides (especially the left). He struck out in fewer than 10 percent of his plate appearances this season, all the while showing a good feel for the zone and for quality contact. Defensively, he’s not the most athletic individual, and his arm is in the average-to-tick-above range. That combination usually makes scouts cast doubt on someone’s ability to remain at the six, though Lee’s aforementioned wherewithal and the recent optimization of defensive positioning has them open to the idea that he at least starts his big-league career at shortstop. Lee has had back issues in the past that have caused him to miss time, and it’s possible that will impact his standing with some more risk-averse organizations. So it goes. He should still be selected in the early going, and perhaps even first overall.
Lee hit .357/.462/.664 with 15 home runs, three stolen bases (on four tries) and 18 more walks than strikeouts in 58 games this season. For his collegiate career, he finished with a .351/.426/.647 slash line.
Lee is the fourth Mustangs player to be selected in the first round, joining Mitch Haniger, Garrett Olso and John Orton. The Mustangs have also produced a number of other All-Star players, including Ozzie Smith and Thornton Lee.
