Red Sox’ first-round pick Kyle Teel batting .571 to start his pro career
The 21-year-old is already turning heads through six minor league games.
MORE RED SOX
The Red Sox’ 2023 first-round draft selection is already enjoying success in the minor leagues, batting .571 with two teams.
Catcher Kyle Teel has spent just three games with Boston’s High-A affiliate Greenville Drive in South Carolina, but already has accumulated nine hits in 14 at-bats.
In the 21-year-old’s three Greenville appearances, he’s logged as many three-hit games. Teel batted 3-for-4 in Saturday night’s victory over the Grasshoppers while also drawing a walk and scoring twice. He batted 3-for-5 with two runs batted in in his initial Drive game. Teel then collected three RBIs, three hits, one walk, and touched home twice in his second Greenville start.
The No. 14 overall pick was first assigned to the Florida Complex League Red Sox on Aug. 3. Teel logged just seven at-bats in Florida but batted .429 with one home run and three total hits. His promotion to High-A came five days later.
Combining Teel’s FCL Red Sox and Drive numbers, he is slashing .571/.640/.762 with a 1.402 OPS in six games. He hit one home run in Florida but has yet to hit one in Greenville. Teel has struck out just twice in 21 at-bats compared to drawing four total walks.
Not only has his batting impressed, but Teel’s work behind the plate has similarly been eye-popping. Having thrown out two of two base-stealers in High-A, he has caught 43 percent of runners in the minor leagues.
Drafted out of the University of Virginia, Teel’s early stellar performances should not come as a surprise. The former Cavalier possessed a .343 career batting average across three seasons alongside a .433 on-base percentage and slugged .547. In 177 collegiate games played, Teel logged 236 hits, 28 being home runs, and drove in 155 runs. With 80 extra-base hits under his belt in Virginia, the team’s starting catcher struck out 109 times and drew 97 walks.
Committing just nine errors behind the plate in college, Teel also threw out 37 percent of base stealers (25-for-67).
Currently ranked the 88th-best prospect in baseball by MLB Pipeline and slotted at 95th by Baseball America, Teel’s professional career is off to a hot start. While his numbers may not be sustainable, he has certainly made a positive first impression and has gotten off on the right foot.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com