Korey Lee Bio
Korey Bryan Lee (born July 25, 1998) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros, the organization that drafted him in the first round of the 2019 MLB draft out of the University of California, Berkeley. Lee made his major league debut in 2022 and was a member of the Astros team that won the 2022 World Series.
Known for his right-handed bat and his work behind the plate, Lee developed into a top catching prospect during his time in the Astros minor league system before reaching the majors. He was traded to the Chicago White Sox in 2023 and has continued to compete for a role at the big-league level.
Early Life and Background
Korey Bryan Lee was born on July 25, 1998, in Vista, California, United States. He grew up in the same North San Diego County community and attended Vista High School, where he played baseball before moving on to the college ranks.
As a senior at Vista High School in 2016, Lee hit .407 with 21 runs batted in, drawing attention from professional scouts. He was not selected in the 2016 MLB draft and chose to continue his baseball career at the University of California, Berkeley.
At California, Lee became a steadier performer each season. He played in 28 games as a freshman in 2017 and in 36 games as a sophomore in 2018, when he hit five home runs and drove in 26 runs. He spent his summers playing in the Northwoods League, an experience that helped his development against older competition.
Path to Baseball
Lee broke out as a junior at California in 2019, slashing .339/.415/.613 with 15 home runs and 57 runs batted in over fifty games. His strong season earned him a place on the Pac-12 First Team and pushed him up draft boards across MLB.
That summer, the Houston Astros selected Lee with the 32nd overall pick in the first round of the 2019 MLB draft. He signed with the Astros for $1.75 million and reported to his first professional assignment, beginning a climb through the minor leagues that would carry him to the majors three years later.
Korey Lee Career
Early Career (2019–2021)
Lee made his professional debut in 2019 with the Tri-City ValleyCats of the Class A Short Season New York–Penn League. He played all 64 games of his first professional season with Tri-City, slashing .268/.359/.371 with three home runs, 28 runs batted in, and eight stolen bases.
Lee did not appear in a minor league game in 2020 after the season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He returned in 2021 and moved quickly through the system, opening the year with the High-A East’s Asheville Tourists before a promotion to the Double-A Central’s Corpus Christi Hooks and a late-season stint with the Triple-A West’s Sugar Land Skeeters. He finished 2021 with a combined .277/.340/.438 slash line, 11 home runs, and 45 runs batted in over 88 games, then played in the Arizona Fall League for the Glendale Desert Dogs.
Houston Astros Breakthrough (2022–2023)
Lee opened 2022 back at Triple-A Sugar Land before the Astros selected his contract on July 1, 2022, promoting him to the major leagues. He debuted that night as a pinch hitter against the Los Angeles Angels, and on July 4, 2022, he made his first major league start for the Astros against the Kansas City Royals at Minute Maid Park.
Against the Oakland Athletics on July 10, 2022, Lee singled off starter Cole Irvin to score Jake Meyers for his first major league hit and run batted in, added his first major league double, and finished 3-for-4 with three runs batted in as Houston won 6–1. On August 23, 2022, he homered three times and drove in a career-high five runs to lead a 23–8 win over the Las Vegas Aviators, recording his first multi-homer game as a professional. He was later added to the Astros’ roster for Game 6 of the 2022 World Series after Yuli Gurriel exited Game 5 with a knee injury, and the Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies to give Lee his first career World Series title.
Lee was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land to begin the 2023 season as the Astros continued to develop his catching profile.
Chicago White Sox Era (2023–Present)
On July 28, 2023, the Astros traded Lee to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for right-handed pitcher Kendall Graveman. He was called up to the active roster on August 24, 2023, and appeared in 24 games for Chicago, finishing his first stint with the White Sox batting .077 with one home run and three runs batted in.
Lee was optioned to the Triple-A Charlotte Knights to open the 2024 season but was later recalled to the Opening Day roster after an injury to Max Stassi. He has continued to compete for playing time behind the plate for the White Sox while refining his game at the Triple-A level.
Driving Style and Strengths
Lee is a right-handed-hitting catcher whose game is built around his work behind the plate, including game-calling, blocking, and receiving. He has shown the ability to produce extra-base hits, including three home runs in a single game in the minor leagues, and he has moved steadily through a deep Astros catching pipeline that produced big-league veterans such as Martín Maldonado.
Notable Events and Milestones
Lee’s most significant milestone to date is his place on the 2022 World Series championship roster with the Houston Astros. He also owns a memorable three-homer, five-RBI game for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys and his first major league hit and run batted in against the Oakland Athletics in July 2022.
Korey Lee Career Wins
As a catcher, Korey Lee’s career wins are measured in team championships and offensive milestones rather than individual race-style victories. His headline achievement is the 2022 World Series title with the Houston Astros, earned after he was added to the roster for Game 6 against the Philadelphia Phillies.
World Series Highlights
Lee made his World Series appearance in 2022 after being placed on the Astros’ roster for Game 6 of the Fall Classic. The Astros’ victory in that contest clinched the title for Houston and made Lee a first-year big leaguer who finished his rookie campaign as a champion.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the World Series, Lee has posted strong minor league numbers, including his .339 average with 15 home runs at California in 2019 and his 11-home-run, 45-RBI combined season across three levels in 2021. His three-homer game for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys in August 2022 stands out as his most dramatic individual offensive performance.
Korey Lee Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Korey Lee is from Vista, California, where he attended Vista High School before moving on to the University of California, Berkeley. Public details about his broader family background are limited, and he is primarily known through his own path as a baseball player.
Personal Life
Lee is an American citizen who was born and raised in Vista, California. Beyond his playing career with the Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox, additional personal details are not widely documented in public sources.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into 2025, Lee is part of the Chicago White Sox catching group after being recalled to the Opening Day roster in 2024 following an injury to Max Stassi. His role with the club centers on competition for plate appearances behind the plate and continued development at the Triple-A level with the Charlotte Knights when not in the majors.
Lee’s offensive approach at the big-league level remains a work in progress, as shown by his struggles in 24 games with the White Sox after the 2023 trade, while his minor league track record points to a higher offensive ceiling. The 2025 season will be an important test of whether he can translate that minor league production into more consistent major league at-bats.
For the White Sox, Lee represents a young, former first-round catching prospect with a World Series ring and several years of team control. If he can establish himself as a reliable everyday option, he could become a long-term building block for the franchise behind the plate.