Brooks Lee, the eighth overall pick in the 2022 MLB Amateur Draft, has been a bright spot for the Minnesota Twins this season. After a slow start to his major league career, Lee has shown significant improvement at the plate, rekindling optimism surrounding the former top prospect. Over 136 plate appearances, Lee is hitting .278/.331/.437 with a 114 wRC+, and has hit five home runs, continuing his plus-power profile. However, some of the same weaknesses remain in Lee's player profile, particularly defensively, where he has netted -4 OAA, making him the fifth-worst defender at the position this season. Despite this, Lee's offensive performance has largely offset his defensive shortcomings, making him one of Minnesota's steadiest presences early this season.
One of the most interesting aspects of Lee's performance is his switch-hitting ability. While he struggled from the left side of the plate in the past two seasons, Lee has performed dramatically better while hitting left-handed in 2026, hitting .291/.333/.456 with a 119 wRC+ over 84 plate appearances against righties. This improvement is likely due to Lee being more aggressive on balls in the zone, often pulling the ball hard and in the air. The fact that Lee is excelling as a left-handed hitter while holding his own from the right-handed batter's box (106 wRC+ over 52 plate appearances) has resulted in the best month-and-a-half stretch of his young career, signaling that he has finally blossomed into an above-average regular.
In my opinion, Lee's progress at the plate this season is a significant development for the Twins. While the team is not a good baseball club at the moment, there will be a time when the seeds of the next Good Twins Team poke their head out of the dirt, germinate, and blossom into a postseason-contending 26-player collective. If Lee's progress at the plate proves sustainable, he could be a core member of that club. However, it is important to note that this progress may not be sustainable, and Lee may still struggle in the future. Nevertheless, his current performance is a promising sign for the Twins and their fans.
One thing that immediately stands out is the contrast between Lee's performance this season and his struggles in the past. This raises a deeper question: what has changed for Lee that has allowed him to perform so much better? One possible explanation is that Lee has finally found his groove at the plate, and his improved performance is a result of hard work and dedication. However, it is also possible that Lee has simply been unlucky in the past, and his improved performance is a result of better luck rather than better skill. Either way, Lee's progress is a fascinating development that will be interesting to watch in the coming seasons.
