'Time and experience': How Korey Lee's stint with Astros guides him through first White Sox spring training

GLENDALE, Ariz. — White Sox catcher Korey Lee is a rarity among young players. At 24, Lee already has a World Series ring, but he’s still trying to prove he can be a viable major-league player.

Once billed as the Astros’ catcher of the future, Lee was sent to the Sox in July as part of the Kendall Graveman trade. A 2019 first-round pick, he says he still remembers the lessons he learned during his brief tenure with the Astros.

“They taught me how to be a professional,” Lee told the Sun-Times. “You got guys over there who have been in the league for 10-plus years. Seeing that as a rookie was incredible: the daily preparation, the daily work, the outside-the-field stuff. And that affects things on the field.”

Lee was once the crown jewel of the Astros’ farm system. That standing was a by-product of his own talent and the system’s dearth of high-end prospects after years of deep playoff runs and of packaging young players in trades.

“I got spoiled for the last five years when I was over there and got taught a lot,” Lee said.

At the Triple-A level, Lee has shown he can hit: He had a .278/.325/.386 batting line across 82 games. Lee also struck out 30 fewer times in 2023 than he did in 2022. He knows he needs to improve on his 5-for-65 showing at the plate last season.

But being a major-league catcher is more than just being a quality hitter and having a strong arm. It’s about handling a staff, building a rapport with pitchers and executing game calls. Pitchers and catchers almost mind-meld, knowing what the other is thinking without saying words.

“Honestly, both of them do such a good job of communicating,” right-hander Michael Soroka said of working with catchers Max Stassi and Martin Maldonado. “One of the only things I ask — I’m kind of stubborn about it — is I like a catcher that talks with me. You get to the point where you know what they’re trying to say to you by a look.”

There’s no greater example of a catcher winning respect for his defense and managing a pitching staff than Lee’s teammate Maldonado, whom he spent time with on the Astros. Maldonado finished in the 75th percentile in blocks above average last season and in the 70th in pop time, according to Baseball Savant. His value comes from his understanding with pitchers.

“It’s incredible,” Lee said of working with Maldonado. “It’s his everyday life, man, and he makes it look easy.”

In addition to Maldonado, Lee has been working with Sox coach Drew Butera on the finer points of catching.

“We’re talking about setups, positioning, sequences and just putting my pitcher in the best spot to have success,” Lee said.

Lee has taken it upon himself to connect with the pitchers this spring training. He has been hanging by the cages, conversing with pitchers, trying to get to know them and what they’re about.

“It’s about sticking with a pitcher’s strengths and making him feel confident,’’ Lee said.

He survived the first round of cuts, but it’s unknown if he’ll stick on the big-league roster when Opening Day arrives. Catching is an inexact science. It’s just as mental as it is physical, and progression isn’t linear.

“It’s just a lot of work trying to catch and adjust to the big leagues,” Stassi said. “It takes time. That’s really the main thing: time and experience.”