Lee's homer-happy week continues for St. Paul

Remember when Brooks Lee was sidelined earlier in the year with a herniated disc? You wouldn’t be able to tell with how he’s swinging the bat.

MLB’s No. 14 prospect continued his hot stretch by launching two homers -- the first time he has accomplished that feat in his professional career -- in Triple-A St. Paul’s 8-5 win over the Toledo Mud Hens at CHS Field on Thursday night.

“It just means that stuff has been working, and adjustments I've made started to show up,” Lee said. “I put in a lot of work in the offseason and during my rehab, so it's always good just to see it come to fruition.”

In the fifth inning, the Twins’ No. 2 prospect pounced on a first-pitch cutter high and inside from pitcher Bryan Sammons, sending it into the bullpen for a three-run shot.

But that was merely a sample of the power he can produce compared to what he did in the sixth inning.

📩 CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO BEN'S BIZ

Facing lefty Andrew Magno, the switch-hitting shortstop demolished a fastball down the middle of the plate for a two-run homer. It traveled 448 feet per Statcast, with a sea of fans waiting in line at the Mud's Dairy Area on the concourse in left-center field. His second dinger -- also from the right side -- was the furthest that he's hit at Triple-A.

The 23-year-old didn’t see the ball travel because of how bright the lights were, but he was surprised when he found out where it landed.

“I wouldn't call myself a home run guy,” Lee said. “It is out of the ordinary for me to do that, but it's always special. I feel lighter when I run around the bases.”

Lee has gone deep thrice in his last three games with his past five hits all resulting in extra bases. The Cal Poly product is hitting .346 and raised his OPS to 1.036 at Triple-A.

The Twins’ 2022 first-round pick (eighth overall) used his time rehabbing in the Florida Complex League last month not only getting his body back into shape, but also honing his straightforward approach.

“The biggest thing was just trying to get my mind to trust my body again,” Lee said. “It comes back quick, especially if you have a simple swing. That’s what I have, so it makes things a little more simple and easier to put the barrel on the ball. And that's what my game is.”

The Twins have seen success over the past two seasons, anchored by homegrown talents like Byron Buxton, Royce Lewis and Edouard Julien. With the way Lee is performing, he could soon find himself being part of that bright future.

“It's obviously a dream of mine,” Lee said of playing in the big leagues. “Whenever it happens, I’ll just take the short drive to Minneapolis and I'll be pumped. I know they have a great team over there too, and a fun clubhouse, so it’ll be special to be part of that.”