Major League Baseball's owner-imposed lockout remains ongoing, but that doesn't mean Prospect Watch is caught on the wrong side of a padlock. Rather, each Friday CBS Sports will be bringing you analysis on a draftee or an industry-wide trend worth monitoring.
Cal Poly shortstop Brooks Lee knows how to get attention.
Lee, who entered the spring ranked No. 3 among CBS Sports' top 50 draft prospects, has authored a ridiculous start to the season. In his first 59 plate appearances, he's batted .457/.576/.761 with two home runs, 13 walks, and -- remarkably -- just a single strikeout, with that coming last week against UNLV's Troy Balko. (He got revenge in that game by homering twice and accepting two intentional walks.)
Lee's season to date has been a continuation of what's turned into a highly productive collegiate career. Factoring in his time in various summer leagues, including last year's Cape Cod League, he's now hit .360/.416/.571 in 731 plate appearances. Some evaluators, the kind who don't get swept up in the moment, have even floated Lee to CBS Sports as the potential favorite to go No. 1 in this summer's draft. While it might seem too early to speculate on such things, there is an undeniable logic to it.
After all, the Baltimore Orioles haven't selected a high-school hitter in the first round since 2015, when they took Ryan Mountcastle. Georgia prep infielder Termarr Johnson could become a heck of a hitter, but the Orioles might prefer to go elsewhere rather than take a youngster who could wind up at second base. James Madison outfielder Chase DeLauter has recovered from a horrid start that saw him strike out in eight of his first 14 at-bats; he's punched out twice in 23 at-bats since, improving his seasonal line to .460/.544/.811 in the process. The Orioles have taken collegiate outfielders in each of the past two drafts, however, and that might make them lean toward Lee if they view him and DeLauter as equals. (It shouldn't hurt Lee, given his outstanding statistical profile, that the Orioles are considered to be a model-based team.)
Even if Lee doesn't go first overall, he should be a lock to go at some point in the first handful of picks.
Scouts have believed that Lee will hit (and potentially hit a lot) before the season even started based on his excellent feel for contact. His father is his coach at Cal Poly, and he plays like it, with his instincts making up for his modest athleticism. There are drawbacks to Lee's game, too. He might have to move off shortstop, either to second or third base, and it's possible that his over-the-fence power plays lighter than you'd like with a wooden bat. He's also had some injury issues in the past that could give teams pause.
Again, the draft is far enough away that it's not worth spending too much time figuring out the exact order at the top. There's a distinct possibility, though, that Lee ends up being the No. 1 pick when all is said and done.
