C.C. Lee

Organization Prospect Rankings

• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #8 prospect in 2014
  Lee finally made his long-awaited major league debut in 2013 at age 26. Cleveland signed him for $400,000 in 2008 and he made his way through the system smoothly until 2012, when he went down early in the season and needed Tommy John surgery. After getting back on the mound in May, Lee received two big league callups in 2013. A sinker/slider reliever, he throws from a low three-quarters slot with deception. He has plus velocity on his fastball, ranging from 92-96 mph with late sinking and running life. His slider doesn't have a ton of depth but its good, late bite makes it tough for righthanders to handle. Coming off T.J. surgery, Lee was a bit tentative with his slider early in the year but it looked impressive by the end. He does have a little splitter he can use against lefties, but he's primarily a two-pitch pitcher. Control isn't a problem, but he does need to tighten his fastball command to give himself a better chance against lefthanders. Lee should pitch in the majors again in 2014, though he'll have to compete for a job in the bullpen in spring training. He has good stuff but may end up filling a situational role if he doesn't hone his command.
• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #10 prospect in 2013
  The Indians tried to sign Lee out of high school, but they had to wait until he attended college and pitched for Taiwan in the 2008 Olympics before landing him for $400,000. He pitched for Taiwan again in the 2009 World Baseball Classic as he steadily made his way up the ladder in the Indians minor league system. After a strong 2011 season, he was poised to make his major league debut in 2012. Instead, he blew out his elbow in Triple-A in April and had Tommy John surgery in June. When healthy, Lee has shown the ability to miss bats. He has averaged 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings in the minors, thanks to a lively fastball that sits at 92-93 mph and reaches 95. His velocity is unusually high for a pitcher with a low three-quarters arm slot, and his delivery adds to his deception. He keeps the ball down in the strike zone and gets groundballs. Lee's slider is inconsistent, getting him swings and misses at times but also flattening out when his low slot makes it difficult to stay on top of the pitch. He doesn't have a reliable weapon to combat lefthanders. His command is average, as he doesn't always locate his pitches as well as he'd like. Lee should return to game action by May or June. A potential big league set-up man, Lee was added to the 40-man roster and could get to Cleveland before the end of 2013 if he regains his previous form.
• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #4 prospect in 2012
  Among the more active teams in Taiwan, the Indians tried to sign Lee out of high school. He instead chose to attend college before signing with Cleveland for $400,000 in September 2008. He represented Taiwan at the Olympics that summer and again at the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He has had no trouble handling minor league hitters, averaging 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings in three pro seasons. Lee throws from a low three-quarters arm slot and has more velocity than most pitchers who drop down. His fastball sits at 92-93 mph, hits 95 and has plus movement. His fastball and the deception in his delivery help him miss bats and keep the ball down in the zone. Lee has a solid slider at times but he struggles to stay on top of it because of his low arm slot. He does a nice job of throwing strikes and getting groundballs. With just 32 innings of Triple-A experience, Lee could return to Columbus to begin 2012. He's in line to make his major league debut at some point during the season and projects as a future set-up man.
• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #21 prospect in 2011
  The Indians tried to sign Lee out a Taiwanese high school, but he turned them down to go to college. The Indians continued scouting him and signed him for $400,000 in September 2008. He pitched in the Olympics in 2008 and in the World Baseball Classic in 2009. Lee has been a prolific strikeout pitcher in two pro seasons, averaging 10.3 whiffs per nine innings in his career. From a low three-quarters arm slot, he goes after hitters with a lively 92-93 mph fastball that tops out at 96. He can vary the shape of his solid slider, giving it late tilt at times and longer, slurvy break at others. With his low arm slot, he has to work to stay on top of his slider. Lee's changeup needs improvement, but that didn't stop him from limiting lefthanders to a .479 OPS in 2010. He finished the season strong, with a 0.57 ERA in the final two months, and should open this year in a crowded Columbus bullpen. He could make his big league debut in the second half of the season.
• 
  Ranked Cleveland Guardians #22 prospect in 2010
  The Indians signed Lee for $400,000 in September 2008, but he had been on their radar for several years. They offered the Taiwanese righthander a contract out of high school, but he declined and went to college instead. He has experience on the international stage, pitching in the Olympics in 2008 and in the World Baseball Classic in 2009. Lee showcases above-average arm strength with a lively 92-93 mph fastball that has been clocked as high as 96. His solid-average slider is slurvy and has late downward bite at 82-84 mph. When he repeats his delivery and keeps his arm slot up, the slider has late depth off his fastball, though when he overthrows it breaks more side to side. Lee fits better in the bullpen than the rotation because of his low three-quarters arm slot. He still needs to develop his splitter, a work in progress, to combat lefthanders. Lee will head to Double-A for 2010 and could help Cleveland's bullpen by 2011.

• December, 2012 Scouting Report
  Background: The Indians tried to sign Lee out of high school, but they had to wait until he attended college and pitched for Taiwan in the 2008 Olympics before landing him for $400,000. He pitched for Taiwan again in the 2009 World Baseball Classic as he steadily made his way up the ladder in the Indians minor league system. After a strong 2011 season, he was poised to make his major league debut in 2012. Instead, he blew out his elbow in Triple-A in April and had Tommy John surgery in June. Scouting Report: When healthy, Lee has shown the ability to miss bats. He has averaged 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings in the minors, thanks to a lively fastball that sits at 92-93 mph and reaches 95. His velocity is unusually high for a pitcher with a low three-quarters arm slot, and his delivery adds to his deception. He keeps the ball down in the strike zone and gets groundballs. Lee's slider is inconsistent, getting him swings and misses at times but also flattening out when his low slot makes it difficult to stay on top of the pitch. He doesn't have a reliable weapon to combat lefthanders. His command is average, as he doesn't always locate his pitches as well as he'd like. The Future: Lee should return to game action by May or June. A potential big league set-up man, he could get to Cleveland before the end of 2013 if he regains his previous form.
• December, 2011 Scouting Report
  Background: Among the more active teams in Taiwan, the Indians scouted Lee since he was 16 and tried to sign him out of high school. He instead chose to attend college before signing with Cleveland for $400,000 in September 2008. He represented Taiwan at the Olympics that summer and again at the 2009 World Baseball Classic. He has had no trouble handling minor league hitters, averaging 11.0 strikeouts per nine innings in three pro seasons, with all of his pro appearances coming as a reliever. Scouting Report: Lee throws from a low three-quarters arm slot and has more velocity than most pitchers who drop down from that angle. His fastball sits at 92-93 mph, hits 95 and has plus movement. His fastball and the deception in his delivery help him miss bats and keep the ball down in the zone. Lee has a solid slider at times but he struggles to stay on top of it because of his low arm slot. He does a nice job of throwing strikes and getting groundballs. The Future: With just 32 innings of Triple-A experience, Lee could return to Columbus to begin 2012. He's in line to make his major league debut at some point during the season and projects as a future set-up man.