It can be easy to forget that Brooks Lee has been in the Major Leagues for less than a year. He’s essentially established himself as an everyday player, moving from third base to second base to shortstop, back to second and frequently batting in the heart of the lineup.
But the fact is, Lee’s big league debut came last July. He has fewer than 900 plate appearances in professional baseball. Despite his polish on defense and a long time in the spotlight due to his prior prospect ranking, Lee is still an unfinished product.
And he’s aware of that. The son of college coach Larry Lee, Brooks Lee holds incredibly high expectations for himself. Sometimes he needs to remind himself that struggling is part of baseball, and it’s all about the next at-bat.
“When you think about it,” he said, “0-for-2 is really not that big of a deal. But it feels like it when it’s the sixth inning. It relies on me to pick myself up out of that mess and to make sure that my mind doesn’t wander. And if it does, then I need to back myself up with good thoughts.”
It’s an ongoing challenge for Lee, who starred in college and throughout the Minor Leagues. He acknowledges he’s not where he wants to be when shaking off poor showings. But twice on the Twins’ recent hot streak, he followed a slump or disappointing performance with a huge hit to help win a game.
That comes with dedicated work but also results from teammates looking out for him. After his recent walkoff single against the Royals, Lee made a point to credit the more experienced clubhouse members who have stepped in to help ensure he keeps an even keel.
“I put a lot of stock in every at-bat,” he said. “I’ve always been that way. But I think there are certain points in the game where it’s early and I have to remind myself, or someone else reminds me. That’s why I thank my teammates all the time, because they care about me. Kody Clemens, [Harrison] Bader, [Carlos] Correa, Jonah [Bride], [Matt Wallner], Ty [France], these guys are hard on me, and they want to make sure that I’m not going down in the deep end. So I’m really thankful for them.”
Clemens, in particular, has taken to looking out for Lee. When Correa was on the injured list, they formed the Twins’ primary double-play combination.
“I can tell he gets in his head a little bit,” Clemens said. “We take ground balls every day together and talk about stuff. So I’m just trying to tell him the mind is a very powerful thing. If you put the pressure on yourself or doubt yourself at all, you’re going to get buried in the game. You have to almost dumb down the scenario. You’re playing a kid's game. Have fun. It’s the big leagues. Not a lot of people get to do this kind of thing.”
That helps Lee remind himself which is the most important part. He relishes the chance to play every day, to be a key cog on a winning team. So he works to focus on the opportunity rather than the negatives.
“There are some things I think I just have to experience,” he said. “You can prepare all you want for something, but until the time comes, once you’re in it, you don’t know what to do. And that’s how I felt when I first got called up. And now I feel like one of the guys. I like being an everyday player. It’s a good feeling. I just want to continue to be that guy.”