Brooks Lee is expected to be an early pick in the first round of the MLB Draft Sunday.
KSBY Sports Reporter Dusty Baker caught up with Lee to discuss his six tools he offers with the MLB Draft on the horizon.
Tool One: Fielding
"Brooks, take me through how your fielding stacks up compared to the rest of the draft class and also to an MLB level," said Baker. "How do you feel about your glove specifically out here at shortstop, where you manned this position your entire time at Cal Poly?"
"I could play all three positions: short, second, and third," said Lee. "Most specifically, I like to play shortstop. I think I stack up pretty well versus the rest of my draft class. There's continuous things I'll always have to work on in order to stay above or right with other guys."
"Would you consider playing other positions if was asked upon you?" asked Baker.
"It's all about winning," said Lee. "If a team ask me to play somewhere else at the big league level, I'm happy to do so. And no matter what, it's all about hitting and being in the lineup, and that's all I care about."
"This is where you played your entire career," said Baker. "What does it mean to you to play shortstop at Cal Poly, and what would it mean to you to play at the next level at this position?"
"The rest of my family was also middle infielders and switch hitters, so I really enjoy doing what I do," said Lee. "It's not just for me, it's for the rest of my family. And I've worked on it my whole life and played many of other positions but I want to stick at shortstop. I'm working continuously to develop good first stride and better footwork. In order to be a successful shortstop and make a lot of plays, I need to have that range."
Tool Two: Arm Strength
"Specifically at shortstop, how do you get stronger in that one position to be able to make those hard off balance throws to first base?" asked Baker.
"Being able to throw from all different slots, that's really important to me," said Lee. "When you play other positions like second or third, it all accumulates in the shortstop. In order to have a good arm, those are things that you have to have. The baseball IQ is the biggest thing that sets me apart from a lot of people. Obviously, I grew up here and I'm a coach's kid and it's not just a coach's kid, I'm Larry Lee's kid. It's a little different mindset that I have versus a lot of other players, and that's what sets me apart from my peers. Long tossing twice a week is probably the most important of anything."
"What do you think maybe stands out about you or an infielder in general that you look up to and kind of model your game after?" asked Baker.
"There's two," said Lee. "Corey Seager is the first one and Brandon Crawford. Corey Seager is a little taller and me kind of the same arm with the way I throw and then the same foot speed and they're both left handed hitters which is great."
Tool Three: Hitting for Contact
"Brooks, you have a hit tool on both sides of the plate," said Baker. "Where do you feel like you have more power and maybe more contact ability?"
"I would say I have more power from the right side and then I have more contact the ability from the left side," said Lee.
"Where is the sweet spot pitch for Brooks Lee?" asked Baker.
"I like to go opposite field a lot, so from either side it's probably a little bit elevated and then I like to get the ball away," said Lee. "I'm grateful to have longer arms than my dad. I like to get extended and hit the ball somewhere out here and that's where I usually get most of my hits."
Tool Four: Hitting for Power
"You mentioned that you are more of a power hitter on the right side of the plate," said Baker.
"I think I'm a little more rotational right-handed," see Lee. "I like to pull the ball from this side and it's a little bit easier to hit to the left side of the field and get it out versus here at Baggett Stadium from the right side. I love to also get something up and I go opposite field just like left handed, but my sweet spot is probably up and in. From the right side know I get a limited sample size, so I'm all about switching and I dedicated my life to it. I've had a lot of success from both sides and I'm looking forward to doing it for as long as I can. If someone tells me no, I'm probably still going to keep doing it."
Tool Five: Speed
"You told me off air that speed may not necessarily be your thing, but what are you doing to at least improve in that department?" asked Baker. "Ultimately, where do you feel like you factor in with the rest of the class there?"
"I'm probably an average runner, for a shortstop especially," said Lee. "I'm not doing very much running right now, but the lifting especially is something that will help me increase my speed."
Tool Six: Brooks Lee's Baseball IQ
"You've been wearing a Cal Poly hat for your entire life." said Baker. "Where does that sixth tool, that sense of understanding baseball come from? From your family line, from right here in SLO?"
"I've learned a lot of things growing up from my dad and other coaches and just being around here in the dugout during games as a kid," said Lee. "It comes a lot from being mature and things don't quite go into one ear and out the other like they used to when you're a little more immature. A lot of things have stuck around and it shows."
