There’s little question that Teel has above-average offensive potential for a catcher. He finished his first full pro season in the top five among all minor league catchers in average and on-base percentage, with loads of doubles. Still, catching is a defense-first position. What does that mean for Teel?
Early in 2024, he struggled in Double A with his framing (especially down in the zone), blocking, and throwing. But he improved steadily.
In Triple A, Teel was above average at framing borderline pitches in the zone — getting called strikes on 83 percent of such pitches, slightly above the International League average of 81 — and slightly below average on edge pitches outside the zone (14 percent, below the leaguewide 16 percent). Pitchers liked throwing to him.
Teel isn’t a finished product defensively, helping to explain why the Sox prefer to give him Triple A development time to start 2025, but based on his arc, he seems likely to be a callup option by the second half.
“Maybe he’s not a star,” said one evaluator. “But he’s a freaking catcher who does everything.”
