Chase Lee Bio
Chase Alexander Lee (born August 13, 1998) is an American professional baseball pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Detroit Tigers. A former walk-on at the University of Alabama, Lee developed into a sidearm reliever in college and quickly rose through the Texas Rangers’ minor league system before reaching the majors in 2025.
Lee is recognized for his sharp command and a distinctive low arm slot, qualities that helped him earn the Texas Rangers’ minor league Reliever of the Year award in 2022. In his first major league season he was traded twice, first to Detroit and then to Toronto, establishing himself as a relief option at the highest level of professional baseball.
Early Life and Background
Chase Alexander Lee grew up in McCalla, Alabama, a small community in the central part of the state. He attended McAdory High School, where he was used primarily as a shortstop. Although he pitched sparingly in just one season of high school baseball, his arm strength was obvious enough that college programs took notice of his athletic profile.
Coming out of high school, Lee did not receive any offers to play college baseball. Determined to continue his playing career, he enrolled at the University of Alabama. As a freshman he tried out for the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball program but was not offered a roster spot. The setback pushed him to reinvent his approach on the mound.
Path to Baseball
At the recommendation of Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon, Lee changed his pitching motion to a sidearm delivery and joined the Alabama club baseball team. The transition paid off almost immediately. He posted a 7–0 record with a 0.21 ERA in club play, drawing renewed attention from the varsity staff and cementing his future as a pitcher.
Lee walked on to the Crimson Tide the following season and recorded a 2.67 ERA across 22 appearances with 24 strikeouts in 31 and a third innings. That summer he played collegiate baseball for the Bethesda Big Train of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League, where he was named Pitcher of the Year after leading the league with 51 strikeouts and seven saves alongside a 1.03 ERA. After a shortened redshirt sophomore campaign cut short by the coronavirus pandemic, he returned as a junior and was named a third team All-American with a 7–0 record, 1.33 ERA, and 51 strikeouts in 40 and two-thirds innings. His college climb from club player to All-American set the stage for the 2021 MLB Draft.
Chase Lee Career
Texas Rangers Minor League System (2021–2024)
The Texas Rangers selected Lee in the sixth round of the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft. After signing, he was assigned to the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League Rangers, where he made one appearance before being promoted to the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders. He finished that first professional season going 0–1 with a 3.71 ERA and 27 strikeouts across 17 innings at Frisco.
Lee returned to Frisco to open the 2022 season and went 1–1 with a 2.25 ERA and 30 strikeouts over 24 innings. On June 14 he was promoted to the Round Rock Express of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, where he went 1–1 with a 5.46 ERA and 41 strikeouts across 31 and a third innings. His combined performance that year earned him the Texas Rangers’ 2022 minor league Reliever of the Year award. He received a non-roster invitation to major league spring training in 2023 and spent the year at Round Rock, going 3–4 with a 3.98 ERA and 87 strikeouts in 63 and a third innings. In 2024 he made eight appearances for Round Rock and posted a 1.69 ERA with 11 strikeouts across 10 and two-thirds innings.
Detroit Tigers (2024–2025)
On July 30, 2024, Lee and fellow pitcher Joseph Montalvo were traded to the Detroit Tigers in exchange for Andrew Chafin. Assigned to the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens, he logged a 1–3 record and 3.27 ERA with 31 strikeouts across 22 innings in 17 appearances. After the season, the Tigers added Lee to their 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
Lee was optioned to Triple-A Toledo to begin the 2025 season. On April 22, 2025, he was promoted to the major leagues for the first time. That evening he made his MLB debut against the San Diego Padres, tossing one and two-thirds scoreless innings with one strikeout. He recorded his first career win on May 21, working two scoreless relief innings against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Toronto Blue Jays (2025–Present)
On December 12, 2025, Lee was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league pitcher Johan Simon. The move gave Toronto a fresh relief arm with a sidearm profile and recent major league experience. Lee joined the Blue Jays organization looking to carve out a consistent late-inning role at the major league level.
Driving Style and Strengths
Although this is a baseball profile, the equivalent on the mound is Lee’s distinctive sidearm delivery, which gives his fastball a flat horizontal approach that complicates hitters’ timing. He pairs that arm slot with sharp command, as evidenced by his low ERAs throughout the minor leagues, and he has shown an ability to miss bats in bunches, including his 51-strikeout summer in the Cal Ripken Collegiate Baseball League. His development as a closer in college and as a late-inning reliever in the minors has prepared him for high-leverage work.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Lee’s signature moments are his first career MLB win against the St. Louis Cardinals on May 21, 2025, and his promotion to the majors on April 22, 2025. His Texas Rangers minor league Reliever of the Year award in 2022 stands as a key organizational recognition, and his trade to the Toronto Blue Jays in December 2025 marks his second team change in roughly 18 months.
Chase Lee Career Wins
Lee’s verified career wins span the amateur, minor league, and major league levels. He posted a 7–0 record at the University of Alabama in his club season and a matching 7–0 mark as a junior, when he was also named a third team All-American. His first MLB victory came in relief against the St. Louis Cardinals in May 2025.
Minor League and College Highlights
At the University of Alabama, Lee was a two-time 7–0 winner, first on the club team and then as a junior All-American. In the Texas Rangers system, he pitched at the Rookie, Double-A, and Triple-A levels, earning the organization’s 2022 minor league Reliever of the Year award. After being traded to Detroit, he added a Triple-A stint with the Toledo Mud Hens before reaching the majors.
Major League Highlights
Lee made his MLB debut on April 22, 2025, against the San Diego Padres with one and two-thirds scoreless innings. His first major league win followed on May 21, 2025, when he delivered two scoreless relief innings against the St. Louis Cardinals. He was later traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in December 2025.
Chase Lee Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Lee’s immediate family is limited. What is documented is that he grew up in McCalla, Alabama, and developed his baseball career through local high school and college programs in the state.
Personal Life
Details about Lee’s spouse, children, and personal life outside of baseball are not publicly documented in available sources. His public profile to date centers on his playing career and his rapid rise from walk-on at Alabama to major league reliever.
2025 Season Performance
Lee’s 2025 season marked his long-awaited arrival in the major leagues. After being optioned to Triple-A Toledo to open the year, he earned a promotion on April 22 and debuted that night against the San Diego Padres with one and two-thirds scoreless innings. He continued to handle relief work for Detroit through the spring and summer, recording his first MLB win on May 21 against the St. Louis Cardinals.
His performance in the Detroit bullpen showcased the command and ground-ball profile he had refined in the Rangers’ system. The Tigers valued him enough to add him to the 40-man roster after the 2024 season, a sign of his standing in the organization despite spending most of the year at Triple-A.
On December 12, 2025, Lee was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for minor league pitcher Johan Simon, opening a new chapter in his career with an American League East contender. Heading into his next season in Toronto, he carries momentum from his first major league appearances and the reputation of a polished sidearm reliever ready for a larger role.