Alright, so I figured it was time I really sat down and hammered out my own thoughts on Brooks Lee, you know, put together a proper scouting report, or at least my version of one. It’s something I do now and then, keeps the mind sharp, I guess.
My Process Kicking Off
First thing I did was clear a good chunk of my afternoon. You can’t rush these things. I fired up the laptop, and like always, started by just immersing myself in video. Hours of it. College games, any early pro stuff I could find. You’re looking for patterns, how he adjusts, what he does when he’s ahead, when he’s behind. It’s not just about the highlight reel swings, believe me. After my eyes started to glaze over from all the footage, I then grudgingly moved over to the stat sheets. I say grudgingly because, while numbers don’t lie, they don’t always tell the whole truth either, especially with younger players.
I spent a good while just sifting through it all. Trying to connect what I saw on video with what the spreadsheets were telling me. It’s like putting a puzzle together, but half the pieces are missing and the other half are kind of blurry.
Jotting Down the Nitty-Gritty
Then came the part where I actually started putting pen to paper, well, fingers to keyboard. I try to break it down into the usual buckets:
- Hitting: This was pretty clear from the get-go. The kid can swing it, shows a good feel for the barrel from both sides of the plate. That’s a big plus.
- Power: There’s definitely some pop in there. Is he going to be a 40-homer guy? Probably not what I’m seeing, but enough to keep pitchers honest and drive the ball into the gaps. Consistent doubles power, maybe 15-20 homers down the line.
- Fielding: Okay, this is where I spent a lot of time rewinding video. He’s played shortstop, and he’s capable there. The question everyone has is whether he sticks. His actions are fine, hands are decent. Range might be the thing that pushes him to second or third eventually.
- Arm: Arm strength looks pretty good. More than enough for the left side of the infield, if he can stay there. No major concerns on that front from what I saw.
- Speed: He’s not a burner, not going to steal you 30 bags. But he runs the bases smart, seems to have good instincts. Average speed, maybe a tick above, utilized well.
Beyond those tools, I always try to get a feel for the makeup, the intangibles. Does he look like he competes? How does he handle failure? That stuff you can’t really quantify but means a heck of a lot.
Why I Even Bother With This Stuff
You know, putting these reports together, it’s more for myself than anything. It’s a good exercise. I remember way back, when I first really got into trying to evaluate talent, just for fun. There was this one guy, everyone was raving about him. Five-tool prospect, can’t-miss, future Hall of Famer, the whole nine yards. I watched him, and something just felt… off. Couldn’t put my finger on it. All the tools were there, sure, but it looked mechanical, almost too practiced. I told a buddy, “I don’t know, man, I got a weird feeling.” He laughed, said I was crazy.
Long story short, the guy flamed out spectacularly. Made it to the big leagues, but never lived up to even a fraction of the hype. Got eaten alive by pitchers who could actually, you know, pitch. And it wasn’t because I was some scouting genius. I’ve been wrong plenty of times, more often than I’ve been right, probably. But it taught me that sometimes you gotta look past the shiny surface. You gotta try and see the player, not just the tools or the numbers.
So, with Brooks Lee, I put down what I saw, what I felt. It’s one snapshot in time. He’s got a good chance to be a solid big leaguer, maybe more. But like any prospect, there are ifs and buts. That’s the fun of it, I suppose. You make your call, and then you wait and see. Keeps you humble, this game.
