Kyle Teel. LHH Catcher from UVA.
View: https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/1678197161928843266?s=46&t=7XazH1NKZP26a4WUZikbkQ
View: https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/1678197161928843266?s=46&t=7XazH1NKZP26a4WUZikbkQ
Boston Red Sox select Kyle Teel in the 2023 MLB draft.
- Thread starter TimScribble
- Start date
MLB.com scout:
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 65 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55
Teel was a very good high school prospect in New Jersey, one who was considered a Top 100 talent, until he removed his name from Draft consideration during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in order to honor his commitment to the University of Virginia. He’s been a full-time starter since he arrived in Charlottesville, putting up better numbers as a freshman than he did as a sophomore and is generally considered to be the top college backstop in the class of 2023.
A left-handed-hitting backstop, Teel has the chance to hit for average and power, though he’s gotten caught a bit in between trying to be a hitter with some pop or a power guy. He was more hit over power in high school, but he has been trying to show off the pop more, perhaps a reason why he hit just .276 in 2022, though he’s found the right balance this spring. He does have an advanced approach, walking more than he struck out last year, and while struggles in the Cape Cod League and with Team USA last summer led some to worry about the hit tool, he’s answered them during his junior year.
Extremely athletic, Teel has seen time in the outfield and probably could handle playing second or third, but he has every chance to stick behind the plate. He has an easily plus arm and his athleticism helps his overall receiving. He gets high marks for his baseball IQ and leadership skills, and with his bat showing up more consistently, his name is floating up Draft boards.
Scouting grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 65 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55
Teel was a very good high school prospect in New Jersey, one who was considered a Top 100 talent, until he removed his name from Draft consideration during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in order to honor his commitment to the University of Virginia. He’s been a full-time starter since he arrived in Charlottesville, putting up better numbers as a freshman than he did as a sophomore and is generally considered to be the top college backstop in the class of 2023.
A left-handed-hitting backstop, Teel has the chance to hit for average and power, though he’s gotten caught a bit in between trying to be a hitter with some pop or a power guy. He was more hit over power in high school, but he has been trying to show off the pop more, perhaps a reason why he hit just .276 in 2022, though he’s found the right balance this spring. He does have an advanced approach, walking more than he struck out last year, and while struggles in the Cape Cod League and with Team USA last summer led some to worry about the hit tool, he’s answered them during his junior year.
Extremely athletic, Teel has seen time in the outfield and probably could handle playing second or third, but he has every chance to stick behind the plate. He has an easily plus arm and his athleticism helps his overall receiving. He gets high marks for his baseball IQ and leadership skills, and with his bat showing up more consistently, his name is floating up Draft boards.
Klaw for the Athletic:
No. 14: Boston Red Sox take Kyle Teel, C, Virginia
Teel sliding this far is a shock, really — a college catcher who stays at the position, has a track record of hitting, is a good athlete, and played for an elite program in one of the two best conferences in the country doesn't go in the top 10? I'm shocked, but Red Sox fans should be ecstatic. He has some areas to work on, needing especially to improve his production against left-handed pitching, but he's a great athlete for a catcher and it shows up in his running, his movement behind the plate, and even in the bat speed from his quick wrists. He might not have the upside of some of the bats who went before him but I think he could still end up an All-Star at some point, and has a high floor because he can catch.
Scouting report: Kyle Teel, C, Virginia
Teel might have been a first-rounder had the 2020 spring season taken place, as he was already on everyone’s radar coming out of the previous summer and fall as a very athletic catcher who looked like he’d hit and would definitely stay at the position. He went undrafted in the five-round affair that June, then hit .335/.416/.526 as a freshman at Virginia, catching 20 games and establishing himself as a likely first-rounder for 2023 even that far ahead. After a slight dip in his sophomore production, he hit .414/.480/.668 through the regular season for the Cavaliers, with just a 12 percent strikeout rate, showing excellent bat speed and pitch recognition, with the bat control to even make some decent contact on pitches out of the zone. His swing produces a lot of line-drive contact and he might have another half-grade of power coming if he gets a little stronger. Behind the plate, he’s agile with a plus arm and receives well, needing some work on framing and handling pitches low in the zone, which he tends to catch by dropping the glove first before moving back up towards the bottom of the zone. I’ve compared his ceiling before to a left-handed-hitting Jason Kendall, a guy who puts the ball in play a ton, runs very well for a catcher, and is an asset on defense.
No. 14: Boston Red Sox take Kyle Teel, C, Virginia
Teel sliding this far is a shock, really — a college catcher who stays at the position, has a track record of hitting, is a good athlete, and played for an elite program in one of the two best conferences in the country doesn't go in the top 10? I'm shocked, but Red Sox fans should be ecstatic. He has some areas to work on, needing especially to improve his production against left-handed pitching, but he's a great athlete for a catcher and it shows up in his running, his movement behind the plate, and even in the bat speed from his quick wrists. He might not have the upside of some of the bats who went before him but I think he could still end up an All-Star at some point, and has a high floor because he can catch.
Scouting report: Kyle Teel, C, Virginia
Teel might have been a first-rounder had the 2020 spring season taken place, as he was already on everyone’s radar coming out of the previous summer and fall as a very athletic catcher who looked like he’d hit and would definitely stay at the position. He went undrafted in the five-round affair that June, then hit .335/.416/.526 as a freshman at Virginia, catching 20 games and establishing himself as a likely first-rounder for 2023 even that far ahead. After a slight dip in his sophomore production, he hit .414/.480/.668 through the regular season for the Cavaliers, with just a 12 percent strikeout rate, showing excellent bat speed and pitch recognition, with the bat control to even make some decent contact on pitches out of the zone. His swing produces a lot of line-drive contact and he might have another half-grade of power coming if he gets a little stronger. Behind the plate, he’s agile with a plus arm and receives well, needing some work on framing and handling pitches low in the zone, which he tends to catch by dropping the glove first before moving back up towards the bottom of the zone. I’ve compared his ceiling before to a left-handed-hitting Jason Kendall, a guy who puts the ball in play a ton, runs very well for a catcher, and is an asset on defense.
ESPN broadcast said he's elite at framing, grading out to a 159, with 100 being average.
Someone posted a tweet from SoxProspect's Chris Hatfield in the Draft thread, opining that Teel would go to the Fort then likely be assigned to Salem. That would put three Top 60 catchers at Salem -- Teel (as noted above, estimated as #6-8 in the system), Brooks Brannon #31 and Enderso Lira #49. Lira (19 yo) only has 30 games, 114 PA at Salem. Brannon (also 19 yo) just 5 games there.
No Top 60 prospects catching at Greenville.
Nathan Hickey, 23 yo, is #21 and at Portland.
Stephen Scott, 26 yo, is #38 and at Worcester.
No Top 60 prospects catching at Greenville.
Nathan Hickey, 23 yo, is #21 and at Portland.
Stephen Scott, 26 yo, is #38 and at Worcester.
Decent chance by the time he (hopefully) gets to the majors framing won't exist anyway
Who knew Buster Posey had his own award?
View: https://twitter.com/tylermilliken_/status/1678384748085780481
View: https://twitter.com/tylermilliken_/status/1678384748085780481
Teel is apparently versatile...
View: https://twitter.com/alexspeier/status/1678287546474958849
But they've confirmed they plan to develop him as a catcher (duh).
View: https://twitter.com/SPChrisHatfield/status/1678242671049990144
View: https://twitter.com/alexspeier/status/1678287546474958849
But they've confirmed they plan to develop him as a catcher (duh).
View: https://twitter.com/SPChrisHatfield/status/1678242671049990144
Saw this on twitter somewhere yesterday, but do wonder if the Sox move Hickey from catcher now with the drafting of Teel. Hickey’s bat is way ahead of his catching.
So does Chaim have some sort of Jedi Mind Trick ability with other GMs that causes highly ranked guys to drop to us?
"He's not the prospect you're looking for."
"He's not the prospect you're looking for."
Swihart was drafted as a SS (out of HS). Teel is a college C from the 2nd best ACC team, who won ACC POY.
I didn’t mean that to be disparaging of Teel. Just the parallel of drafting a super athletic catcher brought Swihart to mind.
100% agree that Teel involves significantly less projection than Swihart as he’s already produced at a high level in college.
Keith Law like Boston’s picks, FWIW.
Props to him for surviving the mean streets of Mahwah.
That bat whip is intense. He has some Nomar/Mookie core strength going on there. I'm excited. And the arm is nothing to sneeze at either.
This is a great post.
This isn't a judgment on Bloom in any way right or wrong, but this is a lot like when Mayer was drafted in that you have the dumb luck of having a great prospect fall in your lap and having the good sense not to screw it up.
But i really hope its the Jedi Mind Trick thing so it can happen every year.
LOL!
BTW, I'm right there with George from Maine about Zimmer. When Zim put Fergie Jenkins in his doghouse, I was an extremely unhappy camper.
Apropos of nothing, Jackson Jobe has thrown only 10 innings this season due to back issues and is still in Low-A.
Nazzan deserves his own thread. I thought someone would have started one by now, but nope. I will now then and include this video, thanks for sharing!
Jeez. I hadn't look at his numbers but holy shit he's been terrible in AA. Lots of strikesout, but a 5.53 ERA in 158 IP is... not great.
In the 42 seconds I watched the WooSox yesterday, I saw somewhat regular C Stephen Scott make a diving play at 1B and the announcers gushed about what a great athlete he is.
While I would love nothing more than to go back to college, I assume the math works out a little bit differently when you stand to make a nice chunk of change (even if under slot) AND waltz directly into a farm system as the #1 at your position.
Quick sampling of some Red Sox prospects who were taken in that same draft way after Leiter...
4-105 Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz, 19 - 2.53 ERA in single-A (SP)
8-226 Hunter Dobbins, 23 - 2.68 ERA across high-A & AA (SP)
12-346 Christopher Troye, 24 - 3.00 ERA across high-A & AA (RP)
14-406 Jacob Webb, 24 - 3.60 ERA in AA (RP)
17-496 Luis Guerrero, 22 - 1.11 ERA & 14 saves in AA (RP)