Fort Myers – The projection systems for the 2026 MLB season have not been kind to Brooks Lee. ZiPS projects the Minnesota Twins shortstop to have a 0.9 WAR, .244/.293/.374 slash line, 6.4% walk rate, 17.1% strikeout rate, 13 home runs, and just 52 RBI in 2026.

The numbers surrounding his speed are most notable, though. Lee has never been the fastest player on the team. His 26.1 ft per second sprint speed in 2025 places him in the bottom 19th percentile of the league. Speed is one of the hardest things for a player to improve on as they age. Still, Lee did all he could to increase his speed both on the base paths and at shortstop in the off-season.

“[With] base running, felt like I got faster,” Lee said. “Definitely need it to translate to my range, so I’ll be excited to see that. But yeah, everything I could hit I tried to do.”

Statcast doesn’t have in-game sprint speeds available in spring training. However, early eye tests indicate Lee has added some speed and muscle to his build, helping him move faster. It is unlikely to be anywhere near 30 feet per second, but the added speed will help with his movement on the bases and in the infield.

Keaschall ➡️ Lee ➡️ Clemens

The double play that ended the 8th inning: pic.twitter.com/9eMBGDtRjZ

— Twins.TV (@twinstv) August 6, 2025

Brooks Lee had a -4 outs above average over 1,132 ⅔ innings in the field last season, which ranked in the bottom 15th percentile in baseball. Last year, the major league average was zero. So if he can plateau there, or get a net positive with one, then the work Lee has put into increasing his speed will have paid off considerably.

Still, the question with Lee is how long he will be holding down shortstop as his primary position. He’ll almost certainly be the opening shortstop this season. Still, the Twins seem to have a long-term trust in Kaelen Culpepper over him as the better defensive shortstop long term.

Even if Culpepper takes the starting shortstop role over from Lee at some point in 2026, the speed improvements will help his defense at second and third base. Lee can still provide defensive versatility as a utility infielder for the Twins.

“I mean, I have all the confidence in myself to play any position on the field. I’m comfortable with second, short, and third,” Lee said. “I mean, there’s a reason why, because I practice it all the time. I won’t lie, I just remember that, and whenever [someone asks] me to do something, I’ll be doing it.”

Lee’s 0.9 ZiPS projected WAR is the worst among starting shortstops going into 2026. His upside in those projections is more with his bat than defense. He’s coming off a year with more power than most expected from him, with 16 home runs and 64 RBI.

However, the projectable contact skills he had in college and as a prospect have not translated to the majors. He owns a career .232 batting average and .279 on-base percentage entering 2026.

Brooks Lee has looked like two different hitters from each side of the plate. When he’s hitting left-handed, Lee is more of a power hitter with 13 of his 19 career home runs in 482 plate appearances from that side of the plate.

FIRST #MLB HOME RUN FOR BROOKS LEE 💣#MNTwins pic.twitter.com/nMUbKzjeJa

— FanDuel Sports Network North (@FanDuelSN_NOR) July 6, 2024

However, Lee has more contact skills on the right side. He owns a .261 batting average and a .291 on-base percentage over 230 career plate appearances.

Lee put more emphasis on his swing from the left side this offseason to better balance those numbers this upcoming season.

“Feel good on both sides, feel the best I ever have left-handed,” he said. “Yeah, see the ball deeper, hit it the other way. I think it helps me see the ball better, not pulling off on stuff, a couple of key mechanical adjustments, but keep it simple.”

Projections are only so accurate. Sometimes, they’re on point, but other times, they either under- or overestimate what a player’s season could turn out to be. In Lee’s case, the projections are hopefully setting a floor for what his 2026 season could look like.

Between the emphasis on improving his swing from the left side and the increase in speed, Brooks Lee is unlikely to have the worst season from any starting shortstop in the league. But the eye tests can only tell so much in spring training, which is why his first few weeks of the 2026 season will be so vital in projecting how this season will go for Lee.