Khalil Lee facts for kids

Khalil Rashad Lee (born June 26, 1998) is an American professional baseball player. He plays as an outfielder. Khalil has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets. He is currently a free agent, meaning he is looking for a new team.

Baseball Journey

High School Star

Khalil Lee went to Flint Hill School in Oakton, Virginia. He was a fantastic player on their baseball team. Khalil was both a pitcher and an outfielder.

In his final year, he was amazing as a pitcher. He won 7 games and didn't lose any. His ERA (Earned Run Average) was super low at 0.33. This means very few runs were scored against him. He also struck out 87 batters in just 43 innings.

At the same time, he was a great hitter. He batted .471, which is very high. He hit six home runs and had 23 RBIs. He was even named the best high school baseball player in Virginia!

Joining the Pros

Khalil was planning to play college baseball at Liberty University. But then, the Kansas City Royals picked him in the third round of the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. This was a big deal!

He decided to sign with the Royals instead of going to college. He got $579,700 to start his professional career. The Royals sent him to play for their rookie team, the Arizona League Royals. In 49 games, he hit .269 with six home runs. He also had 29 RBIs and scored 43 runs.

In 2017, he played for the Lexington Legends. He hit 17 home runs and stole 18 bases. He also had 61 RBIs in 121 games.

Climbing the Ranks

Many people thought Khalil was a top player. MLB.com even said he was the Kansas City Royals' best young player in 2018. He started that year with the Wilmington Blue Rocks. He was chosen as an All-Star for the Carolina League. Later that year, he moved up to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

In 2019, he continued to play well for Northwest Arkansas. He was named a Texas League All-Star. He hit eight home runs and stole 53 bases that season!

In 2020, minor league baseball games were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, Khalil didn't play any games that year. But in November 2020, he was added to the Royals' main team roster.

Playing for the Mets

On February 10, 2021, Khalil Lee was traded to the New York Mets. This was part of a big trade involving three teams.

Soon after, on May 12, 2021, Khalil was called up to the major leagues for the first time! This is a dream for many baseball players. He made his MLB debut on May 17. He came into the game as a replacement.

A few days later, on May 21, he had a huge moment. During a game against the Miami Marlins, he hit a double. This hit gave the Mets the lead in a very close game. It was his first hit and first RBI in the big leagues! The Mets won that game 6-5.

Khalil started the 2022 season with the Triple-A Syracuse Mets. He worked hard to improve his hitting. On June 8, 2022, he was called back up to the major leagues. On June 11, he hit his first career home run! It was against the Los Angeles Angels. He played in 2 games for the Mets that year. He also played 100 games for Syracuse. He hit 10 home runs and stole 14 bases for them.

Independent League Baseball

After his time with the Mets, Khalil continued his baseball career. On June 1, 2023, he signed with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. This team plays in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, which is an independent league. In 89 games, he played very well. He hit 15 home runs and had 66 RBIs. He also stole 13 bases.

In March 2024, Khalil signed with a team in the Mexican League. He played a few games for the Dorados de Chihuahua.