Can Hao-Yu Lee be an Answer at Third for the Detroit Tigers?

After surviving a several month reality TV show that was “The Alex Bregman Free Agency” you might not be interested in more Tigers’ third base rumors. Plug in Matt Vierling or Jace Jung. Maybe a different piece from last year’s team, who cares, just play ball.

I can’t blame you for having that mentality, let me talk you into one more possibility: Hao-Yu Lee.

Lee came to the Tigers at the 2023 deadline in a deal that sent rental Michael Lorenzen to Philadelphia. Although Lee was the fifth-rated prospect in the Phillies system, the move was somewhat overlooked due to the drama surrounding Eduardo Rodriguez’s denial of a move to the Dodgers.

Nonetheless, the Tigers landed a promising prospect who is starting to climb their organization’s rankings. Lee’s bat was always what carried his value with the defense progressing at a slower rate. Primarily a second baseman, the signing of Gleyber Torres for 2025 with the future resting in the hands of Colt Keith and potentially Kevin McGonigle, Lee’s outlook becomes cloudy.

That was until spring training started and Lee began working at third. A new wrinkle and tidbit that tells us a lot about what the Tigers think of Lee, and maybe the other options at third.

Current Third Base Situation

Detroit’s pursuit of Alex Bregman was widely reported and discussed to an extent that there was never a hope of keeping it a secret. The Tigers needed offensive upgrades and third base has been a weakness since the yoyo seasons Jeimer Candelario put up.

The current leader in the clubhouse to fill third is Matt Vierling. Coming off a career year, Vierling lacks the power of a prototypical third baseman and is better-situated as a utility option or starter in the outfield. He can hold his own at third, but I struggle to believe he’s viewed as the ideal option.

Anyone else stepping up at third would allow Vierling to move in the outfield where I think he’s a better option and helps balance the lefty-heavy outfield.

Just Baseball’s no. 7 prospect, Jace Jung, brings a higher power profile, advanced eye for the zone, but does not have the arm or natural feel you’d prefer out of your third baseman.

An injury last season did not allow Jung to showcase the tools that made him a top 100 prospect, but like so many in the Tigers organization, his defense is a major question. He has the ability to earn the starting role but needs to show his improvement from last year first.

After Vierling and Jung you are left with Zach McKinstry and Andy Ibanez. Each come with their own reasons for why they should be on the roster but both are closer to roster casualties than fixtures.

At some point teams needs to replace their *fine* players who got them through rebuilds with higher ceiling players and that time is coming soon for the Tigers.

Hao-Yu Lee’s Offense

Let’s make this clear. Lee’s only chance of making it to the majors is due to his bat. He’s hit well at each stop throughout his climb in the minors but really showcased his potential last season.

Limited to 87 games in Double-A due to injury, Lee slashed .298/.363/.488 with 12 home runs, 16 stolen bases, good for a 141 wRC+.

His profile has always been a contact hitter who doesn’t strike out much and draws his walks. However, we saw a bit of a power surge in his age-21 season. Lee’s ISO jumped to .190 which won’t confuse him with Aaron Judge but does add a level of intrigue to his projection.

Who knows how much power he can eventually tap into, but we did see him touch a 109.8 mph exit velocity already this spring.

One thing I am confident in his Lee’s ability to hit lefties. Last season he slashed .346/.410/.558 against southpaws in a small sample size. However, his .340/.392/.511 slash in 2023 off lefties proves it is more than just a fluke. We know the Tigers value platoons and Lee is trending toward a lefty masher at a minimum. Considering Jung is a lefty, a platoon between the two is on the table.

At only 22 years old with 87 games above High-A, I do have my concerns about how “ready” Lee is. His eye for the zone and tendency to lay off tough breaking pitches while still running above average contact rates makes me think he could move quicker than most prospects.

Will Defense be a Problem?

Stop me if you have heard this before. The Tigers have an infield prospect with a plus bat and below average defense. Ah, yes, the Detroit special. With Lee’s days at shortstop now over, 2024 was focused on improving at second. He looked more comfortable at second than short and could develop into an average defender when it’s all said in done.

Lee also played nine games at third last season in Double-A, which was shaky to say the least. Although, that is to be expected considering he had less than 30 appearances at the hot corner entering the season. His footwork is going to need a lot more reps and I am not sure if his arm will be able to make up for any missteps or hesitations.

Essentially, Lee just has to be average defensively. It’s fair to say that Jung’s ceiling as a defender at third is pretty low making average an upgrade. Lee is most likely going to start off in the minors getting plenty of reps at third and we’ll just have to monitor his process in the meantime.

At some point the bat could be too good to leave in the minors.

Lee’s Path to the Roster

I think there’s still development Lee needs to endure, but with his progression moving quickly, he becomes an option at third in 2025. Right out of the gate? I highly doubt it. Midseason? Much more realistic.

I’m sure the ideal situation for the Tigers would be Jung and Vierling playing well enough to cement themselves as the top two options at third pushing Lee down the depth chart. An injury could open an opportunity with another path being a replacement for Andy Ibanez.

Don’t get me wrong, Ibanez is a useful player who hits lefties well and plays solid defense. I’m not trying to find ways to get him off the roster, but there is a non-zero chance Lee is simply a better player at some point this season.

Ibanez put up an .802 OPS against lefties last season, but a .407 against righties. If you think Lee can produce similar, or close enough, numbers against lefties while also hitting better against righties, he could be the better option.

We still do not have enough information to say Lee is going to be able to steal third from the other options. Not only does he need more reps at third, but I would like to see him stay healthy and show he can continue to hit in the upper minors.

At the end of the day, the Tigers have another very intriguing prospect thanks to the work Scott Harris and the scouting department have done.