Sueng Lee

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #27 prospect in 2004
  The Phillies spent $2 million on Lee and righthander Il Kim in March 2001, figuring they nabbed two first-round talents while announcing their Pacific Rim presence. They since have released Kim and fired Doug Takaragawa, the scout who signed the two pitchers. Meanwhile, Lee isn't reaching the 95 mph velocity he showed as a Korean amateur and hasn't developed into an upper-tier prospect. He struggled through his Phillies debut with a bulging disc in his back and has had trouble adjusting to the United States. His rising weight drew concerns a year ago, especially with the back troubles, but he reported in better shape in 2003. The Phillies still think they can get some return on their investment. They've pared down Lee's hands-over-head delivery. His best pitch is a backdoor slider, and his fastball sits right around 90 mph. He often pitches hitters backward, using the breaking ball to set up his fastball. He also has a decent changeup and occasionally mixes in a splitter, which might be his best pitch in the long run. Lee makes up for his lack of dominant stuff with a solid approach to pitching and setting up hitters. He'll return to Triple-A in 2004, trying to makeup for a couple of ugly outings late in 2003. He can still be a back-of-the-rotation starter, but more likely will end up in middle relief.
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  Ranked Philadelphia Phillies #11 prospect in 2003
  Lee threw 95 mph as a Korean amateur before signing for $1.2 million in March 2001. A disc problem in his back and trouble adjusting to the United States limited his effectiveness that season. He enjoyed a more successful second year as his medical and mental outlooks improved. Lee went from introvert to extrovert and became a clubhouse clown, according to Lakewood manager Jeff Manto. He learned Spanish from his Latin teammates and made strides in English. Lee's back problems cut his velocity down to 92 mph. That's fine, because his changeup is solid and his backdoor slider has developed into a money pitch. He can throw it in any count and commands it as well as he does his fastball. Because of Lee's feel for pitching and ability to work both sides of the plate, the Phillies have encouraged him to pitch backward at times. Lee still is cleaning up his mechanics, paring down superfluous motion from his traditional Asian delivery where he pulls his hands above his head and then pauses before driving plateward. The Phillies worry that Lee's big, Paul Wilson-type body could pose a problem if he doesn't watch his conditioning. He was quite hittable in the Arizona Fall League, but the Phillies chalk that up to fatigue. Lee projects as a No. 3 or 4 starter at the major league level. While he had success in low Class A, he was old for the South Atlantic League. He should get a truer test in 2003 in Double-A, where he made a strong late-season start.