Two Major Ripple Effects From the Twins Moving Brooks Lee to Third Base

The Twins have officially moved Brooks Lee from shortstop to third base. And while that might not seem like a huge deal, it comes with some pretty notable ripple effects.

After playing shortstop in each of his first 45 appearances this season, Lee hasn't seen action there since May 19. He's been at third base in each of his last six outings. In the Twins' last seven games prior to Thursday, Ryan Kreidler has started at short four times, Tristan Gray has gotten the nod twice, and Orlando Arcia has made a start at short. All three of those players can be described as merely hanging onto MLB jobs.

The decision from Derek Shelton and the Twins makes sense. Lee simply has not shown that he can be an MLB-caliber shortstop defensively. He's graded poorly in every defensive metric, which matches up with the eye test. He's not an answer at the most important defensive position in the sport, and the Twins figure they can survive his defense a bit better at third.

Lee has past experience at both third base and second base from when Carlos Correa was the Twins' everyday shortstop. And even if he hasn't been a revelation offensively, Lee has overcome a slow start to post a .783 OPS since April 9, which ranks fourth among Twins regulars behind only Ryan Jeffers, Byron Buxton, and Austin Martin. He just delivered the huge hit on Tuesday night. At least for now, his bat needs to be in the lineup.

The more interesting aspect of Lee's move to third is what it means for two other players in the Twins' organization.

Culpepper's time may be approaching

With respect to Kreidler, Gray, and Arcia, the Twins moving Lee off shortstop means that position is now very open. And it just so happens that the No. 2 prospect in the organization plays shortstop. Kaelen Culpepper, the Twins' first-round pick in 2024 and reigning minor league player of the year, is playing well for Triple-A St. Paul and knocking on the door of the big leagues.

Culpepper has hit .247 with 11 home runs, 11 stolen bases, and an .822 OPS for the Saints through 46 games this season, making him one of four players at Triple-A with at least 10 and 10 so far. This comes after he had 20 homers, 25 steals, and an .844 OPS in his first full professional season, split between High-A and Double-A. He's been crushing the ball, his speed is an asset, and he seems to be a capable defender at short.

We've seen this before. @thechosen1kc leads off the game with a solo homer to left, his 11th of the season. It's the 7th time he's led off an inning with a homer and the 5th time he's led off the game with a long ball, tied for the most in Minor League Baseball pic.twitter.com/nYjnxDvErR
— St. Paul Saints (@StPaulSaints) May 26, 2026

The Twins never want to rush anyone to the majors, but the 23-year-old Culpepper seems to be ready for the highest level of baseball. It's significant that there's no longer anyone blocking him from coming up and serving as Minnesota's primary shortstop.

Royce's future is cloudy

While Lee's move opens up shortstop, it also closes off third base, as long as he keeps hitting. Third base is where Royce Lewis has spent the vast majority of his time in the big leagues, including 99.5 percent of his defensive innings since 2024 (with just eight innings at second base mixed in).

Lee heading to third makes the future even more uncertain for Lewis, who was recently optioned to Triple-A after posting a .539 OPS in 119 plate appearances for the Twins. Lewis has made some noise since heading back to St. Paul, blasting four home runs in six games since the demotion. He's still playing third defensively, and it'll be interesting to see if that changes at some point soon.

Lewis made it known in 2024 that he wasn't a fan of playing second base. But he's no longer a star or even an established MLB player, so he can't be picky. If he's going to work his way back into the Twins' plans, it might have to be at second base or first base or perhaps even a corner outfield spot. Third base no longer has his name on it.

The other option would be the Twins pulling the cord entirely and trading Lewis this year, which feels like a possibility that can't be ruled out.

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