LAKELAND, Fla. -- Hao-Yu Lee’s English is improving.
“I'm getting better,” the Tigers' No. 6-ranked prospect (per MLB Pipeline) said Monday morning. “I've been here five years, so I definitely get better each year.”
His reaction to facing Tarik Skubal last Friday for his first live batting practice of Spring Training translated in any language.
“Woof,” the Taiwan-born infielder said, shaking his head.
Skubal fired three pitches past the 23-year-old right-handed hitter, who swung and missed each time. In fairness, veterans Jahmai Jones and Gleyber Torres also whiffed, but it was quite the introduction to Lee’s second big league camp.
“I’d already faced Skubal before,” Lee said. “I’m so happy, because he’s the best pitcher in the world right now. I was just too excited when I faced him. I was so ready to crush that fastball, the first one, and he threw double changeup to me. That ball just disappeared. Because I’m too happy, too excited, I’m not ready to produce. If I have a next time to face Skubal, I’ll have confidence I can do better.
“I had already faced him before, but … it’s Skubal.”
That excitement, that energy is familiar. It stood out when Lee was a non-roster invitee to Spring Training last year. The ability to smile about it is somewhat easier.
“Last year I was more tense, a lot more nervous,” Lee said through translator Peter Lin. “Turns out I couldn't really be myself and do a lot of stuff that's normal for me. This year, I just feel more relaxed. I can actually be myself more. Everything works smoothly compared to last year.”
Lee can be his toughest critic, and it showed last spring. Veterans like Riley Greene and Kerry Carpenter talked with him about how to handle strikeouts and learn from them. He spent so much time in the batting cages working on his swing that teammates worried he’d wear himself out before games started.
“I think the second time around for Lee has been tremendous so far,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He's just more comfortable with coaches, more comfortable with me, teammates.”
Lee’s competitiveness has pushed him to be a top prospect, but it also made things more challenging for him at times. Dealing with strikeouts and struggles was one of his points of improvement last year with Triple-A Toledo, where he posted a .243 average and a .748 OPS as one of the youngest full-season players in the International League.
The Tigers thought enough of the progress to add Lee to their 40-man roster in November rather than risk losing him in the Rule 5 Draft. That earned him not only a secure spot in this year’s big league camp, but also a ticket to Detroit in January for the Tigers’ hitting summit.
“I know I'm not a legit big leaguer yet,” Lee said through Lin, “but I'm definitely more self-conscious about [the possibility of] being a big leaguer.”
This Spring Training could be massive for making that happen. Though the Tigers have several veteran right-handed hitters vying for roles in Hinch’s plan to attack left-handed pitching, their options to do so in the infield are younger. That was one of the specialties Andy Ibáñez provided over the past few years, but now that he’s with the Athletics, Detroit’s best option is Matt Vierling, who can play third base as well as outfield but missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. Beyond Vierling, Lee and fellow prospect Max Anderson both crushed left-handed pitching last year with Toledo, and both can make a case for themselves with a strong Spring Training.
“I can definitely see the opportunity there,” Lee said. “But right now, I'm trying to focus on myself getting better, let the coaches see from last year to this year, and let them decide whether I'm able to help the team or not. But it's definitely an opportunity to be able to help the team this year.”
Before that, however, Lee has another opportunity: As one of the key hitters on Team Chinese Taipei’s World Baseball Classic roster, he has a chance to get at key at-bats against top competition on the international stage. Pool play in Tokyo includes Korea, Japan, Czechia and Australia.
“I think the experience playing in that type of environment for a young player is always a net positive,” Hinch said, “just because it's such a unique and meaningful experience.”
Who is Lee looking forward to facing most?
“[Yoshinobu] Yamamoto,” he said. “World Series champion. It's going to be a very good experience for me to get to face this type of caliber of a player earlier in March. I'm looking forward to get a hit off of him.”
It can’t be tougher than facing Skubal on one of the first days of camp.