4 exciting Twins players who'll be squeezed off Opening Day roster
By Josh Hill
Brooks Lee, 2B
When the Twins drafted Brooks Lee back in 2022, the hype train was already starting to leave the station. He drew immediate comparisons to Royce Lewis, both due to how high he was drafted (the highest pick since Lewis in 2017) and his insane upside. Lee has already started to deliver on the promise he's shown, quickly ascending from being a newly drafted player to rising all the way to Triple-A last season.
Now he's knocking on the door of making his MLB debut.
It's not just smoke around Lee, there's some serious fire to his game. He's a better defensive option at second base than Edouard Julien, although his bat isn't nearly as powerful. He's faced competition at a few different levels as a minor leaguer but tore through them all to arrive at St. Paul late last year.
Once with the Saints, Lee slashed 237/.304/.428 with five homers and 23 RBI in 38 games and continued to sharpen his skills this spring down in Fort Myers. It got to the point where Derek Falvey was openly teasing Lee's arrival at the major league level, something that won't be happening on Opening Day but might not be far off.
Lee is behind Austin Martin at the starting gate, as it seems he'll have to wait a few months to get the call. There's a clear path for him to the MLB roster, and a place for him once he gets there. The Twins traded Jorge Polanco this winter to free up room in a crowded infield, and Lee was a major piece of that puzzle.
He won't make the 26-man roster, but it seems like a matter of when -- not if -- we'll see Lee make his debut.