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Physical Description:
Athletic, medium frame. Some remaining projection. Unique
athleticism for a catcher. Could stand to add some strength in
his upper body.
Hit: Starts open with
his hands by his shoulders. Brief leg kick timing device.
Extensive pre-pitch hand movement, including a slight drop
during his load. Coils his body and explodes when he swings with
above-average bat speed. Does not get cheated at the plate.
Swing and stride can get long at times. Solid approach; knows
the strike zone and will take a walk when he does not get
pitches to hit. Potential above-average hit tool.
Power: Above-average raw power, especially to
the pull-side. Has shown the ability to drive the ball with
backspin. In-game power plays below raw power. Potential average
game power.
Run: Fringe-average speed.
Field: Potential above-average to plus
defender. Strong framer. Soft hands and good at manipulating his
glove position. Moves well behind the plate laterally and is
very comfortable getting down and blocking balls in the dirt.
Handles pitchers well. Athleticism shows in his feet and his
quick reactions to throw out runners. Type of athlete that could
play other positions including outfield and maybe even second
base.
Arm: Plus arm strength. Quick
release and consistently produces pop times around 1.9 seconds
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Career Notes: Father, Garett,
also a catcher, spent five seasons with the Dodgers as a player
and coach. Brother, Aidan, is a two-way player at UVA and
reclassified to graduate from high school a year early to play
one season with his brother, although he tore his UCL in his
final high school season and did not play in 2023. Was a
shortstop, catcher, outfielder, and pitcher in his prep career.
Removed himself from the 2020 Draft to enroll at Virginia. 2021
Freshman All-American. Played for Team USA in 2021. 2023 ACC
Player of the Year and consensus First Team All-American. Won
2023 Buster Posey Award as the nation's top catcher. Set UVA
single-season records as a junior with 105 hits and 25 doubles.
Started at catcher his last two years at Virginia after
splitting time evenly between catcher, outfield, and designated
hitter as a freshman. Caught all but 23 innings of Virginia's
2023 season. Played briefly in the Cape Cod League for Harwich
in 2022. Heavily scouted by the Red Sox, especially Northeast
scout Ray Fagnant, out of high school, and played for the Red
Sox team at the East Coast Pro showcase, playing every position
but pitcher. Was promoted very aggressively in his pro debut,
reaching Double-A after just 17 pro games and skipping Low-A
entirely. Participated in the 2023 Fall Perforamnce Program.
Participated in the Red Sox Rookie Development Program in
January 2024.
Summation: Potential
average regular as a defense-first catcher who also adds some
value at the plate. Ceiling of an impact everyday catcher if his
bat continues to develop. Likely will develop into a
hit-over-power type. High baseball IQ. A leader who should be
able to handle the rigors of catching at the major league level.
Described as having a very carefree personality; is known for
being the locker room DJ. Great value pick at 14th overall in
2023 that comes with a high floor due to his defensive profile.
Links
Red Sox select Kyle Teel with 14th overall pick (7.9.23) |
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