Brooks Lee is Fulfilling His Wish to Play for His Father at Cal Poly
9/20/2021 12:30:00 PM | Baseball
By Dan Zielinski III
Baseball Prospect Journal
Brooks Lee grew up admiring his father, Larry, who played professional baseball and is the head coach at Cal Poly. His relationship with his father is what caused him to want to play at Cal Poly.
Lee committed to the Mustangs in the fall of his sophomore year at San Luis Obispo (Calif.) High in 2016. When he committed to Cal Poly, he didn't expect to draw significant recruiting interest, he said. But after a breakout junior season, Lee enhanced his value to position himself as a top recruit and MLB draft prospect.
Lee turned down interest from high-major programs and didn't turn pro out of high school, despite some scouts projecting him as a potential top-two-round pick. The decision to play for his father and attend Cal Poly has paid off for Lee, who's one of the top players in college baseball three years later.
"I really wanted to play for my dad just because I'd be nothing without him," Lee said. "He's the reason I have gotten so far. I work extremely hard, but things like teaching me how to deal with failure and go about having success are things he has helped me with along the way."
Lee's work ethic and natural intangibles on the baseball field have propelled him up draft rankings. Scouts project Lee, a shortstop, as the possible first overall pick in the 2022 draft.
Lee will likely be Cal Poly's highest-ever draft pick and the program's first first-round pick since Mitch Haniger in 2012.
"I am glad I went through it already," Lee said. "It is something that motivates me and stays in the back of my head. I think I handle it well and don't feel pressure from it. I just look at the rankings, and then, whatever happens, I'm fine with it. I'm not worried about the draft at all."
To read the rest of the story from Baseball Prospect Journal, click here (subscription not required).
