SLO native Brooks Lee poised to become highest ever drafted local athlete in professional sports

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- As the 2022 Major League Baseball Draft draws closer, Cal Poly's Brooks Lee is in line to potentially become the highest ever Central Coast athlete to be selected by a professional sports team.

The San Luis Obispo native is currently projected in most mock drafts to be chosen between the first and fourth picks in the upcoming draft, which will be held in Los Angeles beginning July 17.

Lompoc's Roy Howell currently holds the distinction of highest ever drafted Central Coast athlete. Howell was chosen fourth overall by the Texas Rangers in 1974.

Lee has seemingly been destined for greatness right from the start.

His father is Larry Lee, the longtime head coach of Cal Poly, while his grandfather Tom Lee was a boxing, football, basketball and baseball coach at Cal Poly, and was inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame in 1990.

In addition, Lee's two uncles both played professional baseball. Terry Lee was the 19th overall pick by the San Francisco Giants out of San Luis Obispo High School in 1974, while Mike Lee signed as a free agent with the Giants in 1973 after finishing his college career at Santa Clara. 

During his two-year career at Cal Poly, Lee established himself as one of the greatest players ever to wear the Mustangs uniform.

This past season, he earned the Brooks Wallace Award, which is given to the nation's top collegiate shortstop.

For the season, he hit .357 with 25 doubles, 15 home runs and 55 RBIs. Lee also led the Big West Conference in hits, walks, doubles, home runs, runs scored, RBIs, slugging percentage and total bases and was second in batting average and on-base percentage.

Lee was named Big West Player of the Year in his two seasons as Cal Poly, and also earned All-American honors from American Baseball Coaches Association, Collegiate Baseball, Perfect Game, D1Baseball.com and Baseball America.