Brooks Thomas Lee is a celebrated American professional baseball player, born on February 14, 2001. Currently, he is shining as a prominent shortstop for the Minnesota Twins, a well-regarded team in Major League Baseball (MLB). He dominates the field with raw talent that has earned him recognition at different times in his baseball career. Hailing from a baseball-loving family, he was named after Brooks Robinson, demonstrating his family’s long-standing baseball culture. His father, Larry Lee, is not just an avid fan of the sport, but also enjoys a successful career as the head baseball coach at Cal Poly.
Brooks was born and raised in San Luis Obispo, California. His passion for baseball became evident in his early years and transcended well into his teenage years at the San Luis Obispo High School. He displayed outstanding skills at the onset of his high school career, batting .438 as a freshman and later eclipsed this success as a junior, achieving a batting average of .462. As a senior in 2019, he showcased awe-inspiring capabilities in the 23 games he played, hitting .405 with 13 doubles and 25 RBIs.
Originally considered a top prospect for the 2019 Major League Baseball draft, Brooks withdrew his name the day before the event. He communicated his intention to fulfill his commitment to attend California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Here, he looked forward to further honing his baseball skills while playing college baseball for the Cal Poly Mustangs. Despite his withdrawal, he was still selected by the San Francisco Giants in the 35th round as a courtesy pick.
His graduation from high school marked the start of his career with the Corvallis Knights, playing in the West Coast League during the summer. Brooks displayed exemplary performance, recording an attractive .333 average with 3 home runs, 35 RBIs, and 12 stolen bases over 43 games. This propelled him to the forefront as the league’s top prospect.
However, during his freshman year’s first semester, bees ran into misfortune when he hyperextended his knee which necessitated surgery. Consequently, his recovery period forced him to miss the 2020 season’s beginning. He managed to appear in only two games before the college baseball season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the summer, Brooks played in the Northwoods League for the Willmar Stingers. The following year, as a redshirt freshman, Lee displayed a stellar performance in at least 55 games. He recorded remarkable statistics, slashing .342/.411/.626 with ten home runs, 57 RBIs, and achieved an impressive 27 doubles, setting a new record for Cal Poly. His fielding percentage stood at .974 after committing only six errors throughout the entire season.
Brooks earned deserved recognition, attracting accolades such as All-American by various media outlets, Big West Conference Co-Field Player of the Year, and Big West Conference Co-Freshman Field Player of the Year. His exemplary performance also placed him as a finalist for the prestigious Brooks Wallace Award.
Following the season’s end, he further enhanced his skills by playing in the Cape Cod Baseball League for the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox. Over 21 games, Brooks displayed his prowess hitting .405/.432/.667, with six home runs. He was subsequently named to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team and spent part of his summer with the squad.
Brooks performance continued on an upward trend, and by 2022 he had established himself as a top prospect for the upcoming draft. Throughout the 58 games of the season, he boasted an impressive .357/.462/.664, with 15 home runs, 55 RBIs, and 25 doubles. His continued success led to him being named Big West Field Player of the Year for the second consecutive season and later received the coveted Brooks Wallace Award.
Upon the season’s conclusion, Brooks participated in the Draft Combine in San Diego. He got his big break when he was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the first round as the eighth overall pick of the 2022 Major League Baseball draft. He agreed to a lucrative deal which he signed for $5.6 million.
Brooks made his professional debut with the Rookie-level Florida Complex League Twins. After only four games, he was promoted to the Cedar Rapids Kernels of the High-A Midwest League. He showed great promise and after just 25 games with Cedar Rapids, he was promoted to the Wichita Wind Surge of the Double-A Texas League. During his time with these three teams, he slashed .303/.388/.451 with five home runs and 15 RBIs.
To commence the 2023 season, Brooks returned to Wichita. In An exciting advancement occurred in early August when he was promoted to the St. Paul Saints of the Triple-A International League. Throughout 125 games between the two teams, he achieved impressive results, slashing .275/.347/.461 with 16 home runs, 84 RBI, and 39 doubles. In 2024, he resumed with St. Paul, and on July 3, Brooks made his big league debut against the Detroit Tigers. During the fourth inning, he made his mark, recording his first career MLB hit, a single off Keider Montero.