Tigers Acquisition Chase Lee Turned A College Tryout Into A Pro Career

After completing a mediocre high school career as a shortstop and occasional reliever in McCalla, Ala., Lee decided his time would be better spent on other career pursuits.

“In high school, I didn’t have any offers to go to college, so I went to Alabama to study engineering and quit baseball,” Lee said. “I was done. I hung up the cleats and was just going to school as a student.”

Just as Lee made it to campus, the Crimson Tide baseball program welcomed a new coach, who decided to open tryouts for the team. After a great deal of nudging from his parents, Lee agreed to attend the tryout, while keeping his hopes modest.

While Lee didn’t jump off the page to the Alabama coaching staff, one of the coaches had good advice.

Lee remembers the coach saying: “You’re not very good right now. You’re very undersized, very under-talented, but you have good arm action and a nice arm. Maybe you can try pitching.

“Specifically, maybe you can try sidearm pitching.”

After sitting on the idea for a month, Lee decided the idea was worth pursuing. He reached out to Bryant Thompson, a local high school pitching coach, and the development began.

Lee practiced pitching mechanics in front of his dorm-room mirror. He went frame-by-frame watching sidearm pitchers on YouTube. Over time, he gained the confidence to join Alabama’s club team to get more exposure to hitters.

Lee dominated at the club level in 2018, then used that as a springboard to make the Alabama bullpen in 2019. He pitched well that season and held onto his spot in 2020 and 2021, when he saved seven games and struck out 51 in 40.2 innings to go with a 1.33 ERA.

The Rangers drafted Lee in the sixth round in 2021. He rose almost instantly to Triple-A Round Rock, where he has spent most of the past three seasons.