Zack Lee Signs With Detroit Tigers

Zack Lee (center) signed with the Detroit Tigers. He is flanked by his parents Denise and Sean Lee.

The Detroit Tigers selected Zack Lee in the Major League Baseball draft.

Lee was an Effingham High School 2019 graduate. In high school he was named twice to the Illinois Class 3A All-State team in 2018 and 2019. He pitched EHS to its first state sectional title since 1942. As a senior, he went 11-1 and had an 0.35 ERA with 111 strikeouts in 59.1 innings, allowing just 23 hits and allowed just three earned runs all season.

Lee went on to pitch for the University of Kentucky. In 2020, he appeared in six games with one start and went 1-1. That summer he played for the Fond Du Lac Dock Spiders of the Northwoods League and started five games, going 2-0. He struck out 16.

In 2021, Lee made 13 starts for Kentucky, going 4-6 with a 5.31 ERA. He struck out 49 and walked 21. In his first six starts at Kentucky Proud Park, he threw 26.2 innings, allowing just eight runs while striking out 32.

Then in 2022, he appeared in 16 games, starting five. He went 2-1 and had a 3.60 ERA in games at Kentucky Proud Park.

For his career at Kentucky, he has appeared in 35 games with 19 starts, pitching to a 5.93 earned run average in 101.2 innings. He was 7-8 with 92 strikeouts overall.