Kyle Henry Teel[1] (born February 15, 2002) is an American professional baseball catcher in the Boston Red Sox organization.

Kyle Teel
Boston Red Sox
Catcher
Born: (2002-02-15) February 15, 2002 (age 22)
Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
Career highlights and awards

Amateur career

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Teel grew up in Mahwah, New Jersey, and attended Mahwah High School. On the baseball team he played shortstop primarily, as well as outfielder, pitcher, and catcher.[2] He had a .574 batting average in 61 at bats with eight home runs and 31 RBIs as a junior.[2] Teel was named the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year during his senior year.[3] He also was the starting quarterback of Mahwah's football team.[4]

Teel was considered a top high school catching prospect in the 2020 MLB draft, but opted out.[5] After graduating high school, he played summer collegiate baseball for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters of the Northwoods League, and posted a .258/.348/.392 slash line in 97 at bats.[6]

Teel played as a designated hitter (19 games), right fielder (19 games), and catcher (15 games) as a freshman at the University of Virginia, and was named third-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) at designated hitter after slashing .335/.416/.526 with 70 hits, nine home runs, and 41 RBIs in 209 at bats.[2][7] He slashed .276/.402/.439 with 12 doubles, six home runs, and 45 RBIs in 221 at bats during his sophomore season, playing primarily catcher.[8] After the season, Teel played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League,[9] and was selected to play for the United States collegiate national team.[10]

Teel entered his junior season as a projected first round pick in the 2023 MLB draft.[11] On May 22, 2023, Teel was named ACC Player of the Year in baseball.[12] In late June, he was named the 2023 recipient of the Buster Posey Award, a national catcher of the year award.[13] He was also a consensus selection to the 2023 College Baseball All-America Team.[14]

Professional career

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Teel was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the first round, with the 14th overall selection, of the 2023 Major League Baseball draft.[15] On July 21, 2023, Teel signed with the Red Sox,[16] reportedly for a $4 million signing bonus.[17] He made his professional debut on August 3, in the Florida Complex League (FCL) with the FCL Red Sox.[18] He was promoted to the High-A Greenville Drive on August 9.[19]

Teel began the 2024 season with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, ranked as the Red Sox' number three minor-league prospect by Baseball America.[20] In August, he was promoted to the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, along with fellow-prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer.[21] At the time of his promotion, Teel had posted a .298/.390/.462 slash line with Portland.[21]

References

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  1. ^ "Teels: Family sports legacy grows". The Record. Hackensack, New Jersey. September 20, 2002. p. S-12. Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c "Kyle Teel". Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site. January 12, 2021.
  3. ^ Samuels, Montana (May 27, 2020). "Mahwah High's Kyle Teel Named NJ Gatorade Player Of The Year". Patch.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  4. ^ "Virginia baseball standout Kyle Teel developed toughness playing high school football". The Daily Progress. June 16, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  5. ^ King III, George A. (April 24, 2020). "NJ baseball star Kyle Teel passes on draft and will attend Virginia". New York Post. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  6. ^ "Virginia baseball signee Kyle Teel proving he belongs in Northwoods League". The Daily Progress. July 10, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  7. ^ "After a full offseason of preparation, Kyle Teel takes the reins as Virginia's full-time catcher". The Daily Progress. February 10, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  8. ^ Newton, Matt (December 14, 2022). "Two Virginia Baseball Players Listed in Top 100 Prospects for 2023 MLB Draft". SI.com. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  9. ^ "Kyle Teel - Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  10. ^ "After brief stint at the Cape, UVA baseball stars Gelof and Teel trying out for Team USA". Richmond Times-Dispatch. June 29, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  11. ^ "College Baseball Week One Standouts: Paul Skenes Shines, Kyle Teel Gets On Track". Baseball America. February 20, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  12. ^ "Teel Voted ACC Player of the Year, Seven Cavaliers Honored". virginiasports.com. May 22, 2023.
  13. ^ "Teel Claims Nation's Top Catching Honor". Virginia Athletics. June 30, 2023.
  14. ^ Newton, Matt (June 30, 2023). "Kyle Teel Named Consensus First-Team All-American, Nation's Top Catcher". Cavaliers Now. Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via MSN.com.
  15. ^ "MLB Draft 2023: Tracking all the Red Sox picks on the final day". The Boston Globe. July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  16. ^ "Red Sox Roster & Staff: Transactions". MLB.com. Boston Red Sox. July 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  17. ^ Franco, Anthony (July 21, 2023). "Red Sox Agree To Terms With Their Top Two Draft Picks". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  18. ^ Osgood, Bob (August 4, 2023). "Minor Lines 8/3/23: Bombs Away in Worcester; Kyle Teel and Nazzan Zanetello debut". overthemonster.com. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  19. ^ McCarthy, Colin (August 9, 2023). "Red Sox first-round pick Kyle Teel dazzles in Greenville debut". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  20. ^ Speier, Alex (April 1, 2024). "A look at the Red Sox' full-season minor league affiliates and the top prospects at each level". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Speier, Alex (August 14, 2024). "Why the Red Sox' Big Three were promoted to Triple A together, and why the pressure is on". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
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