Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 50

The Phillies invested $570,000 of international prospect funds in the 2021 class to sign Lee out of Taiwan. He quickly established himself as a disciplined hitter with strong walk rates, sneaky power and smart speed. That caught the attention of the Tigers, who sent All-Star pitcher Michael Lorenzen to Philadelphia at the 2023 Trade Deadline for Lee. He played just eight games at High-A West Michigan before a calf injury ended his regular season, but he made up for it with a solid stint in the Arizona Fall League.

After showing a little more pull hitting than opposite-field work in 2022, Lee reversed the ratio last year, with more hits to the opposite field than the pull side. He's back to pulling balls with authority in 2024, leading to his best power numbers in pro ball yet at Double-A Erie. He can fall into stretches where he hits a lot of balls on the ground, but he has shown himself to be a capable line-drive hitter with all-fields capabilities. He isn’t a burner on the bases, particularly with his frame, but he showed opportunistic baserunning abilities last year. Despite some added bulk, Lee handles second base well with good instincts, positioning and a sure first step.

Considering the Tigers acquired Lee for a pitcher on a one-year contract, there isn’t any pressure to rush the 21-year-old up the system. That could allow player development officials time to work with Lee on hitting for more power, but staying healthy could be a big key.

Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Signed in June 2021 out of Taiwan for $570,000 at age 18, Lee didn’t waste any time in making a strong first impression. His nine-game debut in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League that summer, in addition to his instructs play that fall, had the Phillies thinking they might have an even better player than they thought when they signed him. He did nothing to dampen that excitement during a first full season in which he reached High-A, with only a broken hand slowing him down at all. Lee returned to Jersey Shore in 2023 and hit .283 with a .773 OPS in 64 games before the Phillies traded him to the Tigers at the Deadline for Michael Lorenzen.

The 5-foot-10 infielder has the chance to be a very good hitter, with a clean swing and an advanced approach at the plate. Lee is a baseball rat who loves to work on his hitting and makes a ton of contact, striking out in just over 19 percent of his 2022 plate appearances while walking 12.3 percent of the time. There’s power in that compact frame and he’s added 10 pounds of muscle to it, which should help him impact the ball even more moving forward.

Lee’s instincts serve him well on the basepaths and defensively. He knows how to steal a base and runs the bases aggressively. He played three infield positions in the Phillies system, getting the bulk of looks at second base while also seeing time at short and third, but he’s best suited for the keystone where he could be a Major League regular. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 45 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

The 2020-21 international signing period didn’t start until January 2021. The Phillies didn’t officially sign Lee, a talented infielder from Taiwan, until June, giving him $570,000 to join the organization. He made a strong first impression in his brief pro debut in the Florida Complex League and kept on performing well in instructional league play last fall.

Lee is the kind of player you like the more you get to watch him, something the Phillies discovered while watching him play regularly for the first time at instructs. At 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, the right-handed hitter is small and compact and has the chance to be a really good hitter. He has a clean swing and is already showing he understands the importance of controlling the strike zone. He can impact the ball and could end up having more power than you’d expect given his size. 

While not a burner, Lee runs better than expected and has excellent baserunning instincts. He’s played second and some third since signing, but his arm is probably a little short for the hot corner. There’s some buzz around Lee’s name as someone who might be a better all-around prospect than anticipated, one who could develop into a solid offensive-minded regular at second base.

Awards

EAS Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2024

Futures Game Selection

Year	Team
2024

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2022

FSL Post-Season All-Star

Year	Team
2022

Baseball America Low Class A All-Star

Year	Team
2022

FSL Player of the Week

Week	Team
05/15/2022

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	09/25/2024	Erie SeaWolves activated 2B Hao-Yu Lee from the 7-day injured list.
	08/27/2024	Erie SeaWolves placed 2B Hao-Yu Lee on the 7-day injured list.
	07/14/2024	American League Futures activated 2B Hao-Yu Lee.
	03/30/2024	2B Hao-Yu Lee assigned to Erie SeaWolves from West Michigan Whitecaps.
	03/07/2024	Detroit Tigers Prospects activated 2B Hao-Yu Lee.
	02/27/2024	2B Hao-Yu Lee assigned to Detroit Tigers.
	09/22/2023	Salt River Rafters activated 2B Hao-Yu Lee from the 7-day injured list.
	09/18/2023	West Michigan Whitecaps activated 2B Hao-Yu Lee from the 7-day injured list.
	08/15/2023	West Michigan Whitecaps placed 2B Hao-Yu Lee on the 7-day injured list.
	08/01/2023	Detroit Tigers traded RHP Michael Lorenzen to Philadelphia Phillies for 2B Hao-Yu Lee.
	08/01/2023	2B Hao-Yu Lee assigned to West Michigan Whitecaps.
	08/01/2023	West Michigan Whitecaps activated 2B Hao-Yu Lee.
	06/13/2023	Jersey Shore BlueClaws activated 2B Hao-Yu Lee from the 7-day injured list.
	06/08/2023	Jersey Shore BlueClaws sent 2B Hao-Yu Lee on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies.
	05/19/2023	Jersey Shore BlueClaws placed 2B Hao-Yu Lee on the 7-day injured list retroactive to May 18, 2023.
	02/25/2023	2B Hao-Yu Lee roster status changed by Philadelphia Phillies.
	02/25/2023	2B Hao-Yu Lee assigned to Philadelphia Phillies.
	09/14/2022	Phillies Organization activated 2B Hao Yu Lee.
	09/14/2022	2B Hao Yu Lee assigned to Phillies Organization.
	08/25/2022	2B Hao Yu Lee assigned to Jersey Shore BlueClaws from Clearwater Threshers.
	08/25/2022	Jersey Shore BlueClaws activated 2B Hao-Yu Lee.
	07/17/2022	Clearwater Threshers activated 2B Hao Yu Lee.
	07/17/2022	Clearwater Threshers activated 2B Hao Yu Lee.
	07/12/2022	Clearwater Threshers sent 2B Hao Yu Lee on a rehab assignment to FCL Phillies.
	06/07/2022	Clearwater Threshers placed 2B Hao Yu Lee on the 7-day injured list retroactive to June 6, 2022.
	04/08/2022	2B Hao Yu Lee assigned to Clearwater Threshers.
	09/30/2021	2B Hao Yu Lee assigned to Phillies Organization.
	08/31/2021	IF Hao Yu Lee assigned to FCL Phillies.
	06/15/2021	Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent IF Hao Yu Lee to a minor league contract.
	06/15/2021	IF Hao Yu Lee assigned to GCL Phillies East.