Brooks Lee May Not Join Twins on Opening Day

The Minnesota Twins are down in Fort Myers, as Spring Training is underway. Rocco Baldelli’s team plays their first game of Grapefruit League action on Saturday (Feb 22).

How the roster takes shape will unfold through competition over the next few weeks. Plenty of positions are already locked in, leaving just a handful of openings. Brooks Lee stands out as a contender vying for one, but he’ll have to prove his worth to claim it.

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Second base remains up in the air for Minnesota Twins

Last season, the Minnesota Twins called up Brooks Lee for his Major League debut on July 3. He stepped in at third base to cover for an injured Royce Lewis in his first start. With Royce Lewis owning third this year, second base becomes Lee’s clearest path to contribute. That spot isn’t guaranteed, though. Aaron Gleeman, a Twins writer for The Athletic, broke down Lee’s uphill climb as spring training looms.

“I think the Twins would love it if Lee won the second base job with an impressive spring training, but he won’t be handed the starting role or even necessarily a roster spot after mostly struggling as a rookie last season…He needs to show he’s healthy and able to consistently drive the ball after his excellent bat-to-ball skills produced a lot of weak contact.

If he does that for the next six weeks, he’ll probably be in the Opening Day lineup. If he doesn’t, he might have to show those things at Triple-A St. Paul for a while before getting another call-up.”

Aaron Gleeman on Brooks Lee’s roster spot (The Athletic)

In a dream scenario, Brooks Lee rips apart pitching in Florida, leaving the Twins with zero doubts about their second baseman. The perfect outcome has the former top prospect grabbing the job from day one and holding it tight all season.

One for the record Brooks! 👏

Brooks Lee mashes his first Major League home run! pic.twitter.com/jtO6ClX0Sa

— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) July 6, 2024

Realistically, the Twins can turn to Willi Castro and Edouard Julien too. Ty France’s signing locked down first base. That frees Castro to settle into more familiar roles, and he likely holds the edge to start at second.

Related: 2025 Minnesota Twins Opening Day Roster Projection (1.0)

Last season Castro went to the All-Star Game after excelling as a utility player. Lee should presumably have the higher ceiling, but Minnesota needs more proof than what they saw in his stint last year.

If spring training falters for Lee, a trip back to Triple-A St. Paul looms large. The Twins usually let Edouard Julien split time at second or warm the bench when needed. They won’t take that approach with Lee, though. If he’s not an everyday player in Minnesota, he’ll be suiting up at CHS Field.

Brooks Lee needs a strong spring for MN Twins

Despite being an exceptional hitter, big league pitching may have humbled Brooks Lee. He batted just .221/.265/.320 in his first 50 games. He had an above average .816 OPS through 10 games, and then things went south.

Over his final 40 games with the Twins, Lee slashed just .197/.241/.273. In 141 plate appearances he compiled just five doubles, a triple, and a home run. He also carried a 22/8 K/BB rate.

That’s not at all who Brooks Lee is. He earned his promotion with a .974 OPS in 25 games for the Saints. Power has never consistently been his game, but a pure feel for hitting and high average is who he has been throughout his career.

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Last year Lee had just a 24.5% hard hit rate with Minnesota. Lee hit line drives just 20.4% of the time, and his 38.1% fly ball rate was ballooned by cans of corn. Opposing pitchers got him to chase an uncharacteristic amount (36.9%) and that certainly aided his problems.

There is already an above-average defender at third base, and second base as well in Lee’s makeup. If the bat can play this spring, and more importantly this year, then the Twins will have a long-term answer. They just need to see it take place.