Brooks

Lee

Lee’s exit velocity numbers remain pretty weak and he’s striking out more than usual (though still a bit less than the league average) this year, but he’s thus far produced a nice .270/.323/.435 line anyway. His .302 BABIP wouldn’t be particularly notable for most, but he’d come in at just .254 in 189 games over his first two seasons. Statcast thinks it’s actually this year’s mark that’s the bigger fluke, given his modest hard-hit rates.

Lee puts the Twins in front with a two-run single in the fourth inning, which gave him 17 RBIs on the season. After a slow start to the season, Lee has gone 20-for-73 (.274) over his last 20 games with five home runs, 11 runs scored, 15 RBI, and two steals. That’s worthy of an add in most fantasy formats, but don’t be afraid to cut bait if the production dries up.

Lee put the Twins on the board in the top of the fifth inning when he hit a 402-foot solo homer off Drew Rasmussen to cut the Rays’ lead to 3-1. Lee has tallied three-hit nights in back-to-back games and has pushed his homer run total to four on the season with his latest bomb. He’s slashing .296/.356/.556 over his last 15 games and seems to be heating up after his slow start.

Lee put the Twins on the board with a leadoff homer in the third inning, part of a seven-run frame as Minnesota hit around the order. Lee added a single in the sixth for his second hit. That’s back-to-back games with a home run for the 25-year-old infielder. Lee is hitting .237/.293/.395 with six RBI across 41 plate appearances.

Lee didn’t start the game and appeared as a defensive replacement after Austin Martin pinch-hit for Tristan Gray. But with the bases loaded in the eighth, he was able to slap a single past Zach McKinstry at second base to give the Twins the lead. Lee’s not much of a fantasy play at this point, especially in losing starts to Gray, but it was good to see him come through in the clutch. The 25-year-old is now carrying a .436 OPS on the season.

Lee had an RBI single in the third inning, which gave him his second RBI of the season. He’s also slashing just .188/.235/.188 on the season. With top prospect Kaelen Culpepper off to a strong start to the season, Lee is going to need to turn on the offense or risk losing his starting job.

Lee missed a pair of games due to illness, but he’s well enough to be in the lineup for Saturday’s bout against Steven Matz and the Tampa Bay pitching staff.

This is the third time Lee has been out of the lineup in seven games. The 25-year-old is hitting just .154/.214/.154 in 14 early-season plate appearances. Tristan Gray is drawing the start at shortstop. Given that Lee is batting ninth even when he is playing, it feels like fantasy managers can’t even trust Lee as an AL-only league accumulator at this point.

Lee would seem to be locked in as Minnesota’s shortstop regardless of how he performs this spring, but he’s at a respectable .286/.348/.429 through 23 plate appearances. The extra-base hits today were his first of the spring, and the triple was hit 398 feet and would have been a homer in two ballparks. From a fantasy standpoint, Lee would seem to have little to offer in the way of upside.

Lee’s single in the fourth inning was 107.1 mph off of Justin Slaten, so it was nice contact. The 25-year-old figures to start the season as the Twins’ shortstop and should hit for a decent average, but he will need to produce more in other categories to add fantasy value. He stole only three bases last season, and while he did hit 16 home runs, his 5.8 percent barrel rate and 88.6 mph average exit velocity don’t suggest tons of in-game power.