Brooks Lee has 'full faith' in himself and the Twins
![Jul 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Brooks Lee (72) throws the ball to first base for an out against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Jul 22, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Twins second baseman Brooks Lee (72) throws the ball to first base for an out against the Philadelphia Phillies in the fifth inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4516,h_2540,x_0,y_227/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_twins/01j4037qppy3112tfdqm.jpg)
Minnesota Twins young infielder Brooks Lee is living his dream after quickly rising through Minnesota's farm system. In his debut season in the majors, Lee is slashing .250/.298/.342 to go with two homers and 12 RBI in his first 19 games with the Twins.
"It's a dream come true," Lee told MLB Network Monday. "I'm so happy to be here. I'm on a great team and it's been very special so far. I can't wait to win some more ball games."
.@Twins' 23-year-old rookie Brooks Lee joins us on #HighHeat to discuss his Big League experiences thus far and being a part of a great culture in Minnesota! @alannarizzo | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/fgUeCLVAYQ
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) July 29, 2024
Lee is among a string of talented infielders the Twins currently have in the organization. Traditionally a shortstop, Lee has had to shift across the diamond at the major league level with Carlos Correa manning short for the Twins.
At the plate, Lee got hot early, hitting for a .364 average through his first eight games. Both of his homers came in those first eight games, including one against his college teammate, White Sox pitcher, Drew Thorpe.
"He struck me out the at-bat before. I would say it's pretty even," said Lee when recalling the dinger off Thorpe. "I took him deep and I'll never let him hear the rest of it."
However, since that game against his college friend on July 10, Lee has struggled at the plate with just seven hits in 49 plate appearances. Lee says getting the hang of major league pitching is challenging.
"Guys are so much better at this level. They're just going to make better pitches and you got to make sure you don't swing at those, when you don't need to," Lee said. "People say the gap is getting bigger and bigger, and I couldn't agree more. But, I'm just going to treat everybody like they're exactly the same."
Minnesota has won of four of its last six games and sit just 4.5 games behind the Guardians for first place in the AL Central. The 23-year-old said it's going to take a "group effort" to lock up a postseason slot over the final two months of the season.
"We just got to stay in every ballgame the best we can. Those wins are coming and I've got full faith in our team," said Lee.