Shortstop has been a position in flux for the Twins since Carlos Correa was traded back to Houston at the deadline last year. Brooks Lee took over at that point, and while he didn’t exactly impress, the former first-rounder wasn’t replaced during the offseason and seemingly came into 2026 with the job locked down.
The Twins did make a few acquisitions to augment their depth at the position. Ryan Kreidler was claimed off waivers from the Pirates back in October, while veteran shortstop Orlando Arcia was signed to a minor-league deal in January. However, both guys were sent to St. Paul as part of the last roster cuts as Opening Day approached. That left Tristan Gray, acquired in a trade from the Red Sox in late January, as the backup. Many were confused by the decision, given that Gray is another left-handed bat in a team full of them, but nonetheless, he was in Baltimore for Opening Day.
Lee started the first two games in Baltimore, both times hitting in the last spot of the lineup. Both games showed similar results, with Lee striking out twice on Opening Day and once more on Saturday. One of those strikeouts came in the top of the 2nd on Thursday with the bases loaded, in a game the Twins eventually lost by one run. While it is an extremely small sample, Twins management and fans would love to see Lee turn it on soon, in what could be a make-or-break year for the 25-year-old.
Lee’s performance was poor, but it was a bit unexpected to see him omitted from the lineup Sunday for the deciding game of the series Sunday. Gray was penciled into the 9th spot, playing short, and similarly, he came up with the bases loaded in the top of the 2nd. Gray then laced a double to right-center, taking a 98.3-MPH fastball from Shane Baz 107.3 MPH to the gap. Gray added a single off Tyler Wells later, ending his day 2-4 with a double, 3 RBIs, and a strikeout.
The Twins began a series with the Royals Monday, and Lee drew the start again, going 1-3 with a single and another strikeout, bringing his line this year to .111/.111/.111, with 4 strikeouts in 9 plate appearances. The advanced metrics back up what we’ve seen, as far as any of it goes. His bat speed is the same as it was last year, and his fielding has yet to show improvement. In contrast to that, Gray provides additional value by being able to play every infield spot. His bat speed bests Lee’s.
Again, it’s still early in the season, but one of the more intriguing questions surrounding the near future of the Minnesota Twins may be the usage of their shortstop position. How long of a leash does Lee have? How often do we see Gray throughout the first few weeks of the season? The first series against Baltimore demonstrated that Kody Clemens will likely play first base with right-handers on the mound for the opponent, which leaves Gray as a substitute at third or second base, as well as potentially gaining more starts at short as the year progresses. Manager Derek Shelton has some experience mixing around shortstops from his time in Pittsburgh—especially the 2023 season, when he had four players make more than 30 appearances there.
While the question posed can’t be answered instantaneously, the Twins should do everything in their power to set up Lee for success this year. He was a top-10 pick only four years ago and just turned 25. He dealt with injuries to his back that slowed his development, so the hope is that a full season will yield atypically large forward strides. If Lee doesn’t pan out, Gray started his regular season career in Minnesota with a bang, and could be a capable placeholder as the season progresses while former first-round picks Kaelen Culpepper and Marek Houston develop in the minor leagues. How long it might be before Gray gets that chance and the team shifts its gaze from Lee to his long-term replacements is worth watching.
What are your thoughts on Brooks Lee? Does he make it to the end of the season as the starting shortstop? As for Gray, how much value could he provide for the Twins this year?