From Terp to ’Cat
AJ Lee using leadership and ability to carve his path as a professional baseball player
TROY, NY >> When AJ Lee officially heard he had been drafted by the Houston Astros, he had paid no mind to the MLB Draft.
Instead, he was enjoying his Chipotle in his Maryland apartment with his girlfriend.
“I didn’t really look at it all day, I wasn’t too concerned with it,” said Lee. “I got a call from my scout in the area and he told me I had been picked. I couldn’t even finish my food I was so happy.”
The 34th round pick took a flight to West Palm Beach before coming to Troy to join the Astros’ Single-A Short Season affiliate Tri-City ValleyCats. The area is new to Lee, but the game is the same.
“The closest I’ve been to here is Cooperstown and that was when I was 12, so it had been awhile,” said Lee.
Lee is using that late round draft status as motivation going into his professional career with the Houston Astros.
“Definitely when you go pretty late, you aren’t expected to do too much, so I am here trying to play everyday like it is my last, you
never know when it is going to be,” said Lee. “I am just trying to have fun out there and enjoy every minute of it. It could last a day, it could last two years from now.”
ValleyCats manager Ozney Guillen sees the upside in Lee, and has not allowed the draft status of the middle infielder determine his status in the roster.
“I don’t believe in rounds. You get taken you will get a chance to play,” said Guillen. “He has been playing good ever since he got into the system — he’s been easy to work with and it shows.”
The Millersville, Maryland native graduated from St. Johns College High School and was twice named the Gatorade Player of the Year for the Washington, D.C area and several other accolades claiming him the best in Washington, D.C before taking his talents to the University of Maryland to become a Terrapin.
At Maryland, Lee played every season, with time escalating his sophomore season to everyday status. Overall, Lee finished with a .279 career batting average at Maryland, totaling 37 stolen bases, and knocking in 94 RBI. Lee also showed off some power, hitting 16 AJ Lee leads the ValleyCats in several statistics early in the 2019 season. home runs while in college.
ValleyCat fans saw a display of that power Monday night when Lee hit his first professional home run to give the ValleyCats the lead against the Brooklyn Cyclones.
“It was pretty exciting, especially at a time where we were down,” said Lee. “It put us up ahead there, it felt really good. Hopefully I keep having success like that and can keep it going.”
Though he has a one in the home run column early in his career, Lee believes his power is deceptive.
“I feel like I can run into a couple of balls. I wouldn’t say that I am a power hitter, but I think I have sneaky power if you will,” said Lee. “Definitely have a little bit there and it showed today. Hopefully it stays there for a little bit.”
A leadoff hitter in college, Lee has embraced that aspect of his game early. He is speedy. Some would say, fleet of foot. That speed is something that fits well into Guillen’s plan of aggressive base running for the ValleyCats.
“He just needs to keep running no matter what,” said Guillen. “I think out of all the guys he has been caught the least. The first thing is getting on base and he has been doing a pretty good job of that.”
“I hit leadoff all in college, so it really isn’t anything new to me,” said Lee. “The speed of the game and the pitches you are going to see are really the only adjustments. Were I am hitting in the order, you try and not take a different approach wherever you are in the order.”
Now as a ValleyCat, Lee is on top of the stat charts in batting average (.288), hits (17), total bases (25), and RBI (5), while also leading the team in stolen bases (9), doubles (5), and OBP (.408).
Lee was a vocal leader for Maryland in his tenure. Now in a clubhouse that is a mix of players from different colleges and the Dominican Republic, that talent has been put to the test, but Guillen has noticed.
“I think him and Grae [Kessinger] were doing a good job, and now that Grae is gone he is just showing the younger guys and being able to use his knowledge as a captain from college and use it everyday.”
Lee admittedly is still trying to transition his leadership role from Maryland to Troy. It is a new clubhouse for the young ball player, with plenty relationships still waiting to form.
“It’s definitely a little different, especially with a whole new group,” said Lee. “I’m sure over time that I will get to know these guys better than I already do, those traits will carry over to here, and I’ll take off.”
Before he got back to work on his Chipotle on draft day, Lee made sure to make a call or two to some pretty important people.
“I called my parents. I was so excited,” said Lee. “And then a couple of days later I am on a plane to West Palm Beach.”