Upon the completion of a lengthy and illustrious college baseball career, Patrick Lee still wasn’t sure if he would get a chance to prove himself at the professional level. Just over a year later, the Pascagoula native was a step away from the big leagues.
On May 31, 2023, in the hills of northwestern Idaho, Lee swung a bat as a collegiate athlete for the final time. It was a 9th inning groundout to third base in William Carey’s final game in the 2023 NAIA College World Series – somewhere the Crusaders never would have gotten without their stalwart centerfielder.
Before he turned back to rejoin his teammates in the dugout after that final at bat, he patted his chest and gave a bow to the field, to the sport that had given him so much. The gesture was one of gratitude, but also what Lee hoped wouldn’t be a goodbye.
“Two months go by, and I definitely wanted to keep playing baseball,” Lee said, explaining that he took it upon himself to find an opportunity when nothing concrete arose after the world series concluded. “I didn’t have any looks at that point. But I didn’t want to be done, so I did it myself.”
Lee began by looking for any possible opening to continue his career – including foreign leagues that might be looking for talent seasoned in the American college ranks. In fact, the power hitting speedster still has a profile listed on baseballjobsoverseas.com. But he wouldn’t have to cross an ocean for opportunity, snagging a spot with the West Virginia Black Bears of the MLB Draft League. Lee impressed coaches and scouts alike in his time with the prospect league, playing four different defensive positions and taking swings as a designed hitter to boot.
“That was my first pro experience,” Lee said. “It was an eye opener on how pro ball works.”
It was also a fitting transition for the decorated former Crusader, winning a Draft League title with the Black Bears and playing with fellow William Carey products A.J. Stinson and Bobby Lada in the process. But even after a strong showing, Lee didn’t hear from any professional teams. So, he made more calls.
A former coach in the Texas Collegiate League, the summer league Lee played in for the summers of 2021 and 2022, connected him with the Missoula Paddleheads of the Frontier League – an unaffiliated MLB partner league. Before the 2024 season could start, however, Lee would be traded twice.
“My mom was a little worried, I think. She wondered if it was a good or bad thing that I was getting traded so much before even playing a game,” Lee said. “I told her that’s baseball. It’s just a rollercoaster.”
Lee mashed and dashed his way to a .410 batting average, 3 home runs, 12 RBI, and 10 stolen bases in just 11 games for the Evansville Otters. He explains that playing in a non-affiliated league was low pressure, but, because he had eyes for a higher level, he created his own pressure.
“I knew where I wanted to be,” Lee said.
After less than a month in the Frontier League, the opportunity he’d been hoping for all along came. This time, they were calling him.
Lee was signed by the Detroit Tigers and shipped to Lakeland, Florida to play for their Low-A affiliate Flying Tigers. As he tells it, the transition was akin to others he’s made in his playing career – such as the self-evolution in 2020 that made him a different player and renewed his commitment to the game. In the end, it’s all baseball.
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“You had to start getting used to a routine – especially with me being 24, a little older,” Lee said of the move from an independent league to Minor League Baseball. “Trusting that process and that routine you do have, talking to your teammates and trainers and coaches to keep your mental right.”
But the turns on the rollercoaster didn’t stop here. Lee was quickly called up to High-A West Michigan Whitecaps, again being promoted in less than a month. Though his progression could already have been qualified as meteoric, another month later it hit warp speed.
On a road trip for a series in Fort Wayne, Indiana for the Whitecaps, Tigers management gave Lee another call – this time to promote him to the AAA Toledo Mudhens. Less than two and half months removed from his first game in Minor League Baseball, the Mississippi Coast native was a single step away from the pinnacle of professional baseball.
“That was crazy,” Lee said. “I thought, okay, they actually see something in me that my parents, my coaches, that I’ve seen in myself my entire life. For me to go through that, it was a confirmation that I can do this.”
Though he would spend just a week in AAA after some injured Mudhens were activated, the former Resurrection Catholic School Eagle had proof that he belonged and a taste for the highest level. Lee admits he doesn’t come from high profile stock – competing in the 1A MHSAA high school ranks and NAIA William Carey for college baseball – but it only serves to further intensify his determination.
“That pushes me even more,” Lee said of his proximity to teammates who played major Division I baseball or were highly touted draft picks out of high school. “I say, ‘I’m gonna make it.’ I can earn the same deals and signings that those guys did. And I can inspire the younger generation. Being around those guys pushes me.”
Patrick Lee with his 3rd of the season, 109.6 MPH off the bat. West Michigan extends their lead to 7-1. pic.twitter.com/PJnfZX4uUK
— Tigers ML Report (@tigersMLreport) August 7, 2024
Back with the High-A Whitecaps, Lee is showing no sign of slowing down, currently leading the team in batting average for those who have played more than 20 games. Hardly a year after he bowed to the game of baseball in what could have been his final game as a player, Patrick Lee’s encore looks to be just getting started.
“[This experience] has pushed me to strive harder every day and be thankful every day,” Lee said. “I definitely want to get back to that level and beyond that. I think – not think – I know that I can.”
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