Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics
Shortstop Brooks Lee in Top Five of Multiple MLB Mock Draft Lists
12/16/2021 11:39:00 AM | Baseball
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- Cal Poly sophomore-to-be shortstop Brooks Lee is ranked No. 5 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Draft prospects list for 2022.
Earlier this fall, Lee was ranked No. 4 by Perfect Game while BaseballProspectJournal.com compiled a mock draft and listed Lee No. 1. Later this week, Lee was predicted by MLB Pipeline to be taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates as the No. 4 overall selection.
Wrote Jonathan Mayo on MLB.com, "If you like hitting, the 2022 Draft Class will be the one for you.
"While a lot can happen between now and the actual Draft in July, it seems bat-heavy, especially at the top. There are 61 hitters (and 39 pitchers), our highest total for hitters on a Draft Top 100, breaking the previous high of 54.
"The first eight prospects and nine of the top 10 are hitters. The top three are high-school bats, followed by a run of five college hitters," Mayo added.
Here's the Top 10:
1. Druw Jones, OF, Wesleyan HS (Ga.)
2. Termarr Johnson, 2B, Mays HS (Ga.)
3. Elijah Green, OF, IMG Academy (Fla.)
4. Jacob Berry, 3B, Louisiana State
5. Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly
6. Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech
7. Brock Jones, OF, Stanford
8. Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison
9. Dylan Lesko, RHP, Buford HS (Ga.)
10. Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech
Of the top 100 in the MLB Pipeline draft list, 57 are in college and 43 from high schools. LSU and Vanderbilt top the list of college with eight players each. Four of the high school players have committed to Florida. Pitchers lead the way with 40 on the list, followed by 19 outfielders and 16 shortstops.
A three-time All-American last season, Lee committed just six errors in 54 games for a .974 fielding percentage, No. 2 among regular shortstops in the Big West. He did not commit an error in Cal Poly's final 21 games of the 2021 season.
His team-leading .342 batting average included a school-record 27 doubles, three triples and 10 home runs, all team highs as well. Lee finished with more extra-base hits (40) than singles (36) and hit safely in 41 of the 54 games in which he played, producing hitting streaks of 12, 11 and nine games.
Other honors earned by Lee were Big West Conference Co-Field Player of the Year and Co-Freshman Field Player of the Year, a spot on the All-Big West first team, Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American, one of five National Co-Freshman Players of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and ABCA All-West Region first team.
Lee was one of six finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award as the nation's top shortstop and also was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, presented to the player of the year.
Lee led the Mustangs in RBIs (57), hits (76), total bases (139) and sacrifice flies (8). His school single-season record of 27 doubles tied for fifth place in the Big West record book. Lee he also led his squad in multiple-hit games with 25 and was the Big West leader with his 16 multiple-RBI contests.
In other baseball news ...
• Continuing its Fall Report series, D1Baseball.com published its prospectus for Cal Poly on Wednesday, giving Mustang fans "reason for optimism in San Luis Obispo" in the spring.
Writes Mike Rooney, "Cal Poly is one of the more fascinating programs on the West Coast. Skipper Larry Lee is the longest tenured head coach in the Big West at 19 seasons. He is also the father of one of the best players in America, his son Brooks. More on Brooks Lee later but the incredible consistency of this program deserves some attention.
The Mustangs have finished in the top four in the Big West in 16 of the last 18 seasons (not including the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign). A remarkable feat in a league that sent four different programs to Omaha in the years 2014-2017.
There is a troubling side to their consistency though. Since 2017, the Mustangs have developed a pattern of chronic slow starts. And those poor first halves have cost them the postseason in all four of those campaigns.
To level set, the second-place team in a league the caliber of the Big West should always be in postseason contention. And Cal Poly finished second in the league in 2017 and 2018 and 2019. But none of those seasons finished within striking distance of the postseason. Here is the culprit: the Mustangs went 38-59 in non-conference play in those three campaigns. That is a .392 winning percentage.
It was more of the same in 2021. Cal Poly won its final seven games, and 11 of its last 12, to finish the year. But a 20-24 record entering that red-hot stretch run sealed the deal.
So how does the 2022 club start fast and capitalize on the program's historically strong finishes? An improved and deeper offense is of the utmost importance. Star power should help as the Mustangs had both a position player (Lee) and a pitcher (Drew Thorpe) earn time with the College National Team last summer."
For the full report, click here.
• Brooks Lee is projected by Perfect Game's staff to be drafted No. 1 by the Baltimore Orioles next July. Site of the MLB First-Year Player Draft has yet to be announced and Baltimore has the first pick.
Pens Vinnie Cervino, "Baltimore and GM Mike Elias have shown a willingness to sign their first pick to a heavy underslot in order to spend more flexibly and creatively later on with prep fallers. Lee would fit this bill both as a high-floor college shortstop but also more than deserving to be the first overall pick based on the tools. He's a sure-handed shortstop whose mobility might force him to third base long term but the plus hit tool should carry him throughout pro ball.
Prospects Live lists Lee No. 3 on its charts.
"Lee is an extremely physical, barrel-chested shortstop with a significant strength throughout his frame," the story on Prospects Live's web site says. "Big for the position, Lee carries his size extremely well on the dirt where his fluidity on the dirt and huge arm really standout on defense. He receives high marks for his instincts and leadership on the field, captaining the defense in-between plays. A switch-hitter with power from both sides of the plate, Lee showcases a big bat with a plus hit tool and thump. Extremely quick hands. It's plus raw power that he's getting into, spraying missiles to all fields. Scouts believe there's significant power coming. Lee may eventually have to shift to third base, though his toolset fits the position nicely. He's a fringy runner, but his athleticism more than makes up for any foot speed he may lack."
Earlier this fall, Lee was ranked No. 4 by Perfect Game while BaseballProspectJournal.com compiled a mock draft and listed Lee No. 1. Later this week, Lee was predicted by MLB Pipeline to be taken by the Pittsburgh Pirates as the No. 4 overall selection.
Wrote Jonathan Mayo on MLB.com, "If you like hitting, the 2022 Draft Class will be the one for you.
"While a lot can happen between now and the actual Draft in July, it seems bat-heavy, especially at the top. There are 61 hitters (and 39 pitchers), our highest total for hitters on a Draft Top 100, breaking the previous high of 54.
Here's the Top 10:
1. Druw Jones, OF, Wesleyan HS (Ga.)
2. Termarr Johnson, 2B, Mays HS (Ga.)
3. Elijah Green, OF, IMG Academy (Fla.)
4. Jacob Berry, 3B, Louisiana State
5. Brooks Lee, SS, Cal Poly
6. Jace Jung, 2B, Texas Tech
7. Brock Jones, OF, Stanford
8. Chase DeLauter, OF, James Madison
9. Dylan Lesko, RHP, Buford HS (Ga.)
10. Gavin Cross, OF, Virginia Tech
Of the top 100 in the MLB Pipeline draft list, 57 are in college and 43 from high schools. LSU and Vanderbilt top the list of college with eight players each. Four of the high school players have committed to Florida. Pitchers lead the way with 40 on the list, followed by 19 outfielders and 16 shortstops.
A three-time All-American last season, Lee committed just six errors in 54 games for a .974 fielding percentage, No. 2 among regular shortstops in the Big West. He did not commit an error in Cal Poly's final 21 games of the 2021 season.
His team-leading .342 batting average included a school-record 27 doubles, three triples and 10 home runs, all team highs as well. Lee finished with more extra-base hits (40) than singles (36) and hit safely in 41 of the 54 games in which he played, producing hitting streaks of 12, 11 and nine games.
Other honors earned by Lee were Big West Conference Co-Field Player of the Year and Co-Freshman Field Player of the Year, a spot on the All-Big West first team, Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American, one of five National Co-Freshman Players of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and ABCA All-West Region first team.
Lee was one of six finalists for the Brooks Wallace Award as the nation's top shortstop and also was a semifinalist for the Golden Spikes Award, presented to the player of the year.
Lee led the Mustangs in RBIs (57), hits (76), total bases (139) and sacrifice flies (8). His school single-season record of 27 doubles tied for fifth place in the Big West record book. Lee he also led his squad in multiple-hit games with 25 and was the Big West leader with his 16 multiple-RBI contests.
In other baseball news ...
• Continuing its Fall Report series, D1Baseball.com published its prospectus for Cal Poly on Wednesday, giving Mustang fans "reason for optimism in San Luis Obispo" in the spring.
Writes Mike Rooney, "Cal Poly is one of the more fascinating programs on the West Coast. Skipper Larry Lee is the longest tenured head coach in the Big West at 19 seasons. He is also the father of one of the best players in America, his son Brooks. More on Brooks Lee later but the incredible consistency of this program deserves some attention.
The Mustangs have finished in the top four in the Big West in 16 of the last 18 seasons (not including the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign). A remarkable feat in a league that sent four different programs to Omaha in the years 2014-2017.
There is a troubling side to their consistency though. Since 2017, the Mustangs have developed a pattern of chronic slow starts. And those poor first halves have cost them the postseason in all four of those campaigns.
To level set, the second-place team in a league the caliber of the Big West should always be in postseason contention. And Cal Poly finished second in the league in 2017 and 2018 and 2019. But none of those seasons finished within striking distance of the postseason. Here is the culprit: the Mustangs went 38-59 in non-conference play in those three campaigns. That is a .392 winning percentage.
It was more of the same in 2021. Cal Poly won its final seven games, and 11 of its last 12, to finish the year. But a 20-24 record entering that red-hot stretch run sealed the deal.
So how does the 2022 club start fast and capitalize on the program's historically strong finishes? An improved and deeper offense is of the utmost importance. Star power should help as the Mustangs had both a position player (Lee) and a pitcher (Drew Thorpe) earn time with the College National Team last summer."
For the full report, click here.
• Brooks Lee is projected by Perfect Game's staff to be drafted No. 1 by the Baltimore Orioles next July. Site of the MLB First-Year Player Draft has yet to be announced and Baltimore has the first pick.
Pens Vinnie Cervino, "Baltimore and GM Mike Elias have shown a willingness to sign their first pick to a heavy underslot in order to spend more flexibly and creatively later on with prep fallers. Lee would fit this bill both as a high-floor college shortstop but also more than deserving to be the first overall pick based on the tools. He's a sure-handed shortstop whose mobility might force him to third base long term but the plus hit tool should carry him throughout pro ball.
Prospects Live lists Lee No. 3 on its charts.
"Lee is an extremely physical, barrel-chested shortstop with a significant strength throughout his frame," the story on Prospects Live's web site says. "Big for the position, Lee carries his size extremely well on the dirt where his fluidity on the dirt and huge arm really standout on defense. He receives high marks for his instincts and leadership on the field, captaining the defense in-between plays. A switch-hitter with power from both sides of the plate, Lee showcases a big bat with a plus hit tool and thump. Extremely quick hands. It's plus raw power that he's getting into, spraying missiles to all fields. Scouts believe there's significant power coming. Lee may eventually have to shift to third base, though his toolset fits the position nicely. He's a fringy runner, but his athleticism more than makes up for any foot speed he may lack."
Players Mentioned
SS
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballCal Poly vs. LBSU, Baseball Highlights -- May 16th, 2026
Sunday, May 17
Cal Poly vs. LBSU, Baseball Highlights -- May 15th, 2026
Saturday, May 16
Cal Poly vs. LBSU, Baseball Highlights -- May 14th, 2026
Friday, May 15
Cal Poly vs. Santa Clara, Baseball Highlights -- Apr 28th, 2026
Wednesday, April 29
