Tag: kyle teel

Former Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel (part of Garrett Crochet trade) named International League Player of the Week

Former Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel has been named the International League Player of the Week for the week of March 28-30, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

One of four prospects traded to the White Sox for ace left-hander Garrett Crochet in December, Teel has gotten his 2025 season off to a tremendous start. Appearing in all three of Triple-A Charlotte’s games against Gwinnett over the weekend, the left-handed hitter went 6-for-12 (.500) with one double, two home runs, nine RBIs, four runs scored, two walks, and two strikeouts as the Knights swept the Stripers.

Teel batted cleanup in all three contests for the Knights at Charlotte’s Truist Field, making two starts at DH and one start at catcher. The 23-year-old belted his first homer of the season on Friday, finished a triple shy of the cycle while driving in a career-high six runs on Saturday, and reached base twice on Sunday.

Originally selected with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Virginia, Teel is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Chicago’s farm system and the No. 51 prospect in the sport. After slashing .288/.386/.433 with 23 doubles, 13 home runs, 78 RBIs, 88 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 68 walks, and 116 strikeouts in 112 games (505 plate appearances) between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester last season, the New Jersey native was traded by the Red Sox to the White Sox for Crochet on December 11 alongside fellow prospects Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, and Wikelman Gonzalez.

All four were in major league camp with the White Sox this spring at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Ariz. Teel, in particular, impressed offensively by going 6-for-19 (.316) with one double, two home runs, six RBIs, five runs scored, four walks, and four strikeouts in 14 Cactus League games. On the other side of the ball, the athletic 6-foot, 210-pound backstop logged 34 2/3 error-less innings behind the plate but did not have much of a chance to show off his arm strength as he only (unsuccessfully) dealt with one base stealer.

As things stand in Charlotte, Teel is slated to split catching duties with another top 100 prospect in Edgar Quero. The plan out of the gate, as highlighted by Jeff Cohen of FutureSox.com, is for Teel and Quero to both be in the Knights’ lineup on a nightly basis, with the former serving as the DH when the latter is behind the plate and vice-versa.

While the case can be made that Teel and Quero are competing to be the backstop of the future for the White Sox, they are both currently behind Korey Lee and Matt Thaiss on Chicago’s catching depth chart. Still, the expectation is that, at the very least, Teel will make his big league debut at some point before the 2025 campaign ends. He could speed that timeline up if he continues to punish International League pitching the way he has been early on.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Johanfran Garcia emerges as organization’s top catching prospect following Kyle Teel trade

After the Red Sox included Kyle Teel in the five-player trade that netted them frontline starter Garrett Crochet from the White Sox last month, Johanfran Garcia emerged as the highest-ranked catching prospect in the organization heading into 2025.

Garcia got off to a blazing hot start at the plate in 2024 but saw his season come to an abrupt end on May 1 when he was carted off the field at Low-A Salem after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee while running the bases. The then-19-year-old was placed on the full-season injured list on May 8 and underwent season-ending surgery shortly thereafter.

Garcia, who turned 20 in December, had been one of the top performers in the lower minors before suffering the injury. In 14 games for Salem (Boston’s Carolina League affiliate), the right-handed hitter batted a stout .385/.467/.596 with five doubles, two home runs, five RBIs, five runs scored, six walks, and 15 strikeouts over 60 plate appearances.

At season’s end, Garcia was one of 254 hitters who made at least 60 trips to the plate in the Carolina League. Among those 254, he ranked first in batting average, OPS (1.063), wOBA (.498), and wRC+ (207), second in slugging percentage, fourth in on-base percentage, eighth in line-drive rate (32.4 percent), and 12th in isolated power (.212), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Garcia unsurprisingly saw all of his playing time on the field in 2024 come at catcher. The 5-foot-11, 196-pound backstop logged 85 innings behind the plate for Salem, allowing two passed balls and throwing out six of 32 potential base stealers. He also made four starts at DH and has past experience at first base.

The younger brother of Red Sox outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia (who was added to the 40-man roster in November), Johanfran originally signed with Boston for $850,000 as an international free agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2022. The Valencia native is currently regarded by MLB Pipeline as the organization’s No. 17 prospect, eight spots below his older brother.

When making a recent appearance on Boston Sports Entertainment Network’s ‘The Pesky Podcast,’ Garcia (through interpreter and former Red Sox player development coach Fabian Castorena) said that he is feeling “much better now” and “is working to get back to the field.” In terms of where he is at in the rehab process with his right knee, he said that he is “about 65 to 70 percent ready to go.”

Since he is coming off major knee surgery and spent much of this past year rehabbing in Fort Myers, the Red Sox will likely exercise caution when it comes to Garcia’s status leading into the start of spring training next month. With that being said, he is projected by SoxProspects.com (who has him ranked 15th in the system) to open the 2025 season at High-A Greenville.

(Picture of Johanfran Garcia: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Which four prospects did Red Sox trade to White Sox for Garrett Crochet?

The Red Sox bit the proverbial bullet and dipped into their talented prospect pool to complete a trade with the White Sox for frontline starter Garrett Crochet on Wednesday.

In exchange for Crochet — a 25-year-old left-hander who is coming off an All-Star season and is under club control through 2026 — Boston sent right-hander Wikelman Gonzalez, catcher Kyle Teel, outfielder Braden Montgomery, and infielder Chase Meidroth to Chicago.

Gonzalez, who turns 23 in March, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 16 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The native Venezuelan originally signed with the Red Sox for $250,000 as an international free agent coming out of Maracay in July 2018. He was added to the 40-man roster last November to protect him from Rule 5 Draft eligibility.

After being recognized as the organization’s 2023 Minor League Starting Pitcher of the Year, Gonzalez had an up-and-down 2024 season. The righty posted a 4.73 (4.12 FIP) with 92 strikeouts to 46 walks in 24 appearances (19 starts) spanning 83 2/3 innings for Double-A Portland. He fared better in the second half, as evidenced by a 2.31 ERA (3.52 FIP) in nine outings (seven starts) after the MLB All-Star break. Opposing hitters batted just .157 against him in that stretch.

Listed at 6-foot and 167 pounds, Gonzalez throws from a three-quarters arm slot and incorporates a medium-high leg kick into his delivery. As noted in his SoxProspects.com scouting report, the lively hurler operates with a four-pitch mix that consists of a 94-96 mph fastball that can reach 97 mph, a 77-80 mph curveball, an 87-88 mph changeup, and an 86-88 mph cutter. His command and control are still considered works in progress.

Teel, who turns 23 in February, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 25 prospect in the sport. The New Jersey native was originally selected by the Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Virginia. He received a $4 million signing bonus.

Following a successful professional debut that saw him reach the Double-A level, Teel returned to Portland for the start of the 2024 season and represented the Red Sox at July’s All-Star Futures Game before receiving a promotion to Triple-A Worcester in August. Altogether, the left-handed hitter batted .288/.386/.433 (134 wRC+) with 23 doubles, 13 home runs, an organizational-leading 78 RBIs, 88 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 68 walks, and 116 strikeouts in 112 total games (505 plate appearances). He was named an Eastern League Post-Season All-Star and a Baseball America Double-A All-Star.

On the other side of the ball, Teel was voted as the Eastern League’s top defensive catcher in Baseball America’s 2024 Best Tools survey. Equipped with plus arm strength, the 6-foot, 190-pound backstop logged 655 1/3 total innings behind the plate between Portland and Worcester and threw out 23 of 116 possible base stealers. He also allowed 11 passed balls and committed 12 errors in 793 chances.

Montgomery, who turns 22 in April, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 6 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 59 prospect in the sport. The Texas A&M product was selected by the Red Sox with the 12th overall pick in the 2024 draft but did not make his professional debut after signing for $5 million since he was still recovering from a fractured right ankle he suffered in June’s NCAA Super Regionals.

Before seeing his junior season get cut short, the switch-hitting Montgomery had slashed .322/.454/.733 with 14 doubles, one triple, 27 home runs, 85 RBIs, 65 runs scored, five stolen bases, 53 walks, and 59 strikeouts in 61 games (295 plate appearances) for the Aggies. On the other side of the ball, the 6-foot-2, 220-pounder saw most of his playing time this past spring come in right field and he was named to the 2024 SEC All-Defensive Team among various other honors. His arm strength grades as a 70 on Baseball America’s 20-80 scouting scale.

Meidroth, 23, was ranked by Baseball America as the No. 8 prospect in Boston’s farm system. The California native was originally selected by the Red Sox in the fourth round of the 2022 draft out of San Diego. He received a $272,500 signing bonus and had established himself as one of the organization’s more unique talents by utilizing his contact skills and plate discipline to compensate for his lack of power.

Meidroth spent the 2024 season with Worcester and was recognized as the WooSox’ Most Valuable Player. In 122 games, the right-handed hitter batted .293/.437/.401 with 20 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, 57 RBIs, 87 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 105 walks, and 71 strikeouts over 558 plate appearances. He was named a Triple-A All-Star by Baseball America.

Defensively, Meidroth saw playing time at every infield position besides first base with Worcester this year. The versatile 5-foot-10, 170-pounder logged 412 innings at shortstop, 275 1/3 innings at third base, and 137 2/3 innings at second base. He committed 10 total errors (seven at shortstop, three at third base) in 340 chances altogether.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Top Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel led organization in RBIs this season

In his first full professional season, top catching prospect Kyle Teel led all Red Sox minor-leaguers in RBIs.

Teel, the 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft out of Virginia, split the 2024 campaign between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. The left-handed hitter batted .288/.386/.433 with 23 doubles, 13 home runs, an organizational-leading 78 RBIs, 88 runs scored, 12 stolen bases, 68 walks, and 116 strikeouts over 112 games spanning 505 plate appearances.

To open his age-22 season, Teel returned to Portland this spring after getting into nine games with the Sea Dogs last September. No stranger to playing in chilly conditions, the New Jersey native overcame a slow April start (.213/.333/.344 line in 16 games) by slashing .357/.443/.560 in May to earn Eastern League Player of the Month honors.

Teel stayed hot at the plate as May turned to June and June turned to July. He was then selected to represent the Red Sox at the All-Star Futures Game in Texas, where he went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles. He remained with the Sea Dogs after the All-Star break and continued to produce, leading to questions about a possible promotion to Triple-A.

https://twitter.com/RedSoxPlayerDev/status/1812529861044363281

Those questions were answered on August 12, as Teel — after batting .298/.390/.462 with 20 doubles, 11 home runs, 60 RBIs, 65 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 48 walks, and 87 strikeouts in 84 games (382 plate appearances) for Portland — was officially elevated to Worcester alongside fellow top prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. Kristian Campbell, the other member of Boston’s Big Four, joined the trio the following week.

Similar to how his season started, Teel’s first few weeks with the WooSox were tough and likely served as an adjustment period of sorts. He carried with him a .118/.207/.137 line in his first 13 games at Triple-A through the end of August but ended the year on a strong note by posting a 1.058 OPS in September. Altogether, Teel hit .255/.374/.333 with three doubles, two home runs, 18 RBIs, 23 runs scored, three stolen bases, 20 walks, and 29 strikeouts in 28 games (123 plate appearances) for Worcester.

Among the 185 minor-leaguers who made at least 500 trips to the plate this season, Teel ranked 18th in on-base percentage, 26th in batting average and wRC+ (134), 32nd in walk rate (13.5 percent), 42nd in wOBA (.376), 46th in OPS (.819), 69th in slugging percentage, 82nd in swinging-strike rate (10.2 percent), and 92nd in line-drive rate (23.5 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Teel unsurprisingly saw all of his playing time on the field between Portland and Worcester this year come at catcher. Equipped with plus arm strength, the 6-foot, 190-pound backstop logged 655 1/3 total innings behind the plate for the two affiliates and threw out 23 of 116 possible base stealers. He also allowed 11 passed balls and committed 12 errors in 793 chances.

In addition to the Futures Game selection and Player of the Month honor, Teel received a great deal of recognition when season-end awards were being handed out. He was named an Eastern League Post-Season All-Star, a Baseball America Double-A All-Star, and a SoxProspects.com All-Star. He was also voted as the Eastern League’s top defensive catcher in Baseball America’s 2024 Best Tools survey.

Teel, who turns 23 in February, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 4 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 25 prospect in the sport. Barring him being included in a surprise trade for starting pitching this winter, it appears as if he will be given an opportunity to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster this coming spring.

Whether or not he makes the team has yet to be determined and won’t be for a while, but Teel is nonetheless positioned to make his big-league debut at some point in 2025 as the Red Sox’ catcher of the future.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Kelly O’Connor/sittingstill.smugmug.com)

Red Sox to promote top prospects Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, and Kyle Teel to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox are promoting their top three prospects — shortstop Marcelo Mayer, outfielder Roman Anthony, and catcher Kyle Teel — from Double-A Portland to Triple-A Worcester, as was first reported by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

Mayer, Anthony, and Teel are currently regarded by Baseball America as the Nos. 10, 18, and 31 prospects in the sport, respectively. Dubbed “The Big Three” within Boston’s farm system, the talented trio represented the organization at last month’s All-Star Futures Game in Arlington, Texas. They are expected to join the WooSox and make their Triple-A debuts on Tuesday, when the club opens a six-game series against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Polar Park.

Mayer, the longest-tenured of the three, was originally selected by the Red Sox with the fourth overall pick in the 2021 draft out of Eastlake High School (Chula Vista, Calif.). The left-handed hitting 21-year-old batted .307/.370/.480 with 28 doubles, eight home runs, 38 RBIs, 60 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 30 walks, and 66 strikeouts in 77 games (335 plate appearances) for Portland this season. As noted by Speier, he was recently sidelined by minor hip soreness but was activated from the injured list over the weekend and should be ready to play.

Defensively, Mayer saw the vast majority of his playing time with Portland this season come at shortstop. The 6-foot-3, 188-pounder logged 543 innings at short for the Sea Dogs, committing 10 errors in 212 chances. He also started one game at third base and nine at DH.

Anthony, meanwhile, was taken by the Red Sox with the 79th overall selection in the 2022 draft out of Stoneman Douglas High School (Parkland, Fla). The left-handed hitting 20-year-old slashed .269/.367/.489 with 20 doubles, three triples, 15 home runs, 45 RBIs, 60 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 48 walks, and 96 strikeouts in 84 games (376 plate appearances) for Portland this season. He is currently riding an 11-game hitting streak.

On the other side of the ball, Anthony had been serving as the Sea Dogs’ primary center fielder leading up to Sunday’s promotion. The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder logged 489 1/3 innings in center for Portland, committing three errors in 132 chances. He also made two starts in left field (where he recorded two outfield assists), one start in right field, and 15 starts at DH.

Unlike Mayer and Anthony, Teel is in just his first full professional season after being selected by the Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in last summer’s draft out of the University of Virginia. The left-handed hitting 22-year-old batted .298/.390/.462 with 20 doubles, 11 home runs, 60 RBIs, 65 runs scored, nine stolen bases, 48 walks, and 87 strikeouts in 84 games (382 plate appearances) for Portland this season.

From behind the plate, Teel started 57 games at catcher for the Sea Dogs and threw out 18 of 91 would-be base stealers. The 6-foot, 190-pound backstop has shown “major improvement in his receiving, game-calling, and throwing since the beginning of July,” according to Speier.

After spending the better part of the last four months at Double-A, Mayer, Anthony, and Teel will make the highly-anticipated jump to Triple-A this week. Put another way, they are all just one call away from reaching the major leagues.

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Kyle Teel rips two doubles at All-Star Futures Game

Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel delivered a standout performance in the 2024 All-Star Futures Game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on Saturday afternoon.

Teel went 2-for-2 with a pair of doubles in the American League’s 6-1 loss to the National League, making him the only player on either side to record multiple hits in the seven-inning exhibition.

Representing the Red Sox alongside fellow top prospect Marcelo Mayer — who went 0-for-2 with two groundouts — in the 25th annual Futures Game, Teel entered the contest as a defensive replacement for starting catcher Samuel Basallo in the fifth inning. The 22-year-old backstop was unable to throw out Dylan Crews stealing second base in the top half of the frame but made up for it with his first plate appearance in the latter half.

With one out and the bases empty, Teel found himself matched up against Reds pitching prospect Rhett Lowder. The left-handed hitter worked a 2-2 count before barreling an 86.3 mph slider from the right-hander to deep left-center for an opposite-field double. The ball left his bat at 98.8 mph and traveled 379 feet over the outstretched glove of National League center fielder Druw Jones.

Teel advanced to third base on a fielding error but was left stranded there. He got his next opportunity with one out in the bottom of the seventh, this time pitted against another righty in the Pirates’ Bubba Chandler. Though he fell behind in the count at 1-2, Teel kept things rolling by lacing an 86.3 mph fastball down the left-field line for his second double of the day.

Teel was, yet again, left in scoring position as Chandler recorded the game’s final two outs to seal the 6-1 victory for the National League. Reds prospect Cam Collier was named Futures Game MVP after going 1-for-2 with a 409-foot solo home run.

Selected by the Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Virginia, Teel is currently ranked by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s farm system and the No. 27 prospect in the sport. He has batted .298/.384/.455 with 16 doubles, eight home runs, 49 RBIs, 53 runs scored, six stolen bases, 33 walks, and 70 strikeouts in 65 games (294 plate appearances) for Double-A Portland to begin his first full professional season.

Defensively, Teel has unsurprisingly seen all of his playing time on the field this season come at catcher. The 6-foot, 190-pounder has logged 380 innings behind the plate for the Sea Dogs, allowing three passed balls and throwing out 11 of 64 possible base stealers in that time.

Along with Mayer and outfielder Roman Anthony, who won the inaugural Future Skills Showcase on Saturday, Teel is the third member of the Red Sox’ Big Three. The top three prospects in the organization are knocking on the door for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester but are all planning on returning to Portland after the All-Star break, according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

“We still have half a season left,” Teel told Speier. “This is a really cool journey. [The Futures Game] is a little sidequest we get to do midway through our season, but we’ve still got to compete for the playoffs with the Sea Dogs. The only thing that we can really control is playing for the Sea Dogs right now. That’s it. So we want to do that the best that we can and develop the most that we can.”

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Top prospects Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kyle Teel to represent Red Sox in Futures Game festivities

The Big Three of outfielder Roman Anthony, shortstop Marcelo Mayer, and catcher Kyle Teel have been invited to represent the Red Sox at the All-Star Futures Game in Arlinton, Texas on July 13.

Mayer and Teel will play for the American League in the Futures Game itself while Anthony (an inactive selection) is slated to take part in the first-ever MLB Futures Skills Showcase — a three-round competition of hitting challenges — that follows the seven-inning exhibition at Globe Life Field.

Anthony, Mayer, and Teel have spent the entirety of the 2024 season together at Double-A Portland and are currently regarded by Baseball America as The Nos. 1, 2, and 3 prospects in Boston’s farm system, respectively. All three are represented in Baseball America’s top 100 prospects rankings as well.

Anthony has overtaken Mayer for the top spot in the organization. The left-handed hitting 20-year-old is batting .246/.358/.441 with 15 doubles, two triples, eight home runs, 24 RBIs, 35 runs scored, six stolen bases, 36 walks, and 66 strikeouts in 60 games (260 plate appearances) for Portland this season. He has made 46 starts in center field and one in right field.

Mayer, who suited up for the American League in Seattle last year, joins Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts as the only Red Sox position prospects to be named to multiple Futures Games. The left-handed hitting 21-year-old is slashing .307/.371/.479 with 25 doubles, seven home runs, 36 RBIs, 54 runs scored, 13 stolen bases, 27 walks, and 57 strikeouts in 68 games (299 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs this season. He has made 56 starts at shortstop and one at third base.

As noted by The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, Mayer was scratched from Portland’s lineup on Monday after experiencing back stiffness during batting practice. He may sit again on Tuesday, but the issue is still considered minor and one that is not expected to keep the former fourth-overall pick out for long.

Teel, meanwhile, is enjoying a strong first full season in pro ball after being selected by the Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Virginia. The left-handed hitting 22-year-old is batting .302/.390/.464 with 14 doubles, eight home runs, 48 RBIs, 51 runs scored, five stolen bases, 31 walks, and 67 strikeouts in 60 games (272 plate appearances) for Portland. He has thrown out 10 of 60 possible base stealers in his 40 starts behind the plate.

All three of Anthony, Mayer, and Teel remain in Portland for the time being but are undoubtedly nearing a promotion to Triple-A Worcester. It remains to be seen if they will move up as a group or individually, though Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham acknowledged in a recent conversation with Speier that “the conversations are happening constantly.”

(Picture of Marcelo Mayer: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox top catching prospect Kyle Teel named Eastern League Player of the Week

Top Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel has been named the Eastern League Player of the Week for the week of May 27-June 2, Minor League Baseball announced on Monday.

Teel enjoyed a productive week in Double-A Portland’s latest series on the road against the Altoona Curve. Appearing in all six games, the left-handed hitting 22-year-old went 10-for-24 (.417) with one double, three home runs, 11 RBIs, six runs scored, two stolen bases, three walks, and five strikeouts.

After going deep in Tuesday’s opener and going hitless on Wednesday, Teel went 3-for-4 on Thursday before coming through in the clutch on back-to-back nights. With his side trailing and down to their final strike on Friday, Teel crushed a game-tying three-run homer. He followed that up by clubbing a go-ahead grand slam in the ninth on Saturday. The Sea Dogs won both contests and are riding a three-game winning streak after taking Sunday’s series finale.

On the heels of another strong road trip, Teel is now batting a stout .307/.411/.497 with 11 doubles, six home runs, 34 RBIs, 34 runs scored, three stolen bases, 24 walks, and 40 strikeouts over 40 games (180 plate appearances) for Portland this season. That is especially encouraging when considering he was slashing just .213/.333/.344 through the end of April.

Among 88 qualified Eastern League hitters, Teel ranks 16th in walk rate (13.3 percent) and isolated power (.190), fourth in batting average and on-base percentage, sixth in slugging percentage, third in OPS (.908), ninth in line-drive rate (28.3 percent), and second in wRC+ (159), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Teel has unsurprisingly seen all of his playing time on the field this season come at catcher. The 6-foot, 190-pound backstop has logged 232 1/3 innings behind the plate for Portland thus far, allowing just two passed balls while throwing out five of 36 possible base stealers. He has also started 13 games as the Sea Dogs’ designated hitter.

Teel, who turned 22 in February, is in the midst of his first full professional season after being selected by the Red Sox with the 14th overall pick in last summer’s draft out of Virginia. The New Jersey native signed with the club for $4 million and made it up to Portland before the 2023 campaign drew to a close. He is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect (and best defensive catcher) in Boston’s farm system and the No. 47 prospect in the sport.

Teel joins Matthew Lugo (April 15-21) and Blaze Jordan (April 22-28) as the third member of the Sea Dogs to earn Eastern League Player of the Week honors this season. On the flip side, left-hander Zach Penrod was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Week for the week of May 13-19.

Lugo and Penrod have since earned promotions to Triple-A Worcester after getting off to impressive starts in Portland. Teel, one-third of Boston’s ‘Big Three’ alongside fellow top prospects Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony, may not be too far behind.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox catching prospect Nathan Hickey aiming to stick behind plate long-term

He may no longer be viewed as the top catching prospect in the Red Sox’ farm system, but the 2023 season was still a productive one for Nathan Hickey.

Hickey, Boston’s fifth-round selection in the 2021 amateur draft, came into 2023 ranked by Baseball America as the No. 15 prospect in the organization after producing a .936 OPS in 75 games between Low-A Salem and High-A Greenville the year prior. The Florida product returned to Greenville for the start of his second full professional season last spring but his stay there was short-lived.

In just 18 games with the Drive, Hickey batted a stout .294/.402/.588 with six doubles, one triple, four home runs, nine RBIs, 13 runs scored, 12 walks, and 20 strikeouts over 82 plate appearances. The left-handed hitting 24-year-old then received a promotion to Double-A Portland alongside infielder Chase Meidroth in early May.

Though his production dipped somewhat, Hickey still slashed .258/.352/.474 with 18 doubles, 15 homers, 56 runs driven in, 49 runs scored, three stolen bases, 40 walks, and 91 strikeouts in 80 games (335 plate appearances) for the Sea Dogs. Among the 75 hitters who made at least 300 trips to the plate in the Eastern League last year, Hickey ranked 29th in walk rate (11.9 percent), 20th in batting average, 23rd in on-base percentage, 10th in slugging percentage, ninth in OPS (.826), 10th in isolated power (.216), 32nd in line-drive rate (19.9 percent), 28th in swinging-strike rate (11.1 percent), and seventh in wRC+ (127), per FanGraphs.

On the heels of earning Eastern League All-Star honors, Hickey headed out west with a contingent of eight other Red Sox prospects to play in the Arizona Fall League. The lone catcher in that group, Hickey appeared in 16 games for the Glendale Desert Dogs, going 10-for-55 (.182) with one double, one RBI, five runs scored, 15 walks, and 24 strikeouts. He finished in a two-way tie for the team lead in walks while putting up the fourth-highest on-base percentage.

Defensively, Hickey saw the majority of his playing time at all three of his stops last year come at catcher. Between Greenville and Portland, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound backstop logged 646 innings behind the plate, but only managed to throw out 10 of 139 potential base stealers while allowing seven passed balls and committing 12 errors. In the AFL, he gunned down three of 21 would-be base stealers while splitting reps with the Mets’ Kevin Parada and the Twins’ Andrew Cossetti.

To that end, it remains to be seen if Hickey will be able to stick behind the plate moving forward. The questions regarding his future position became even more prevalent after the Red Sox selected Kyle Teel, who has quickly emerged as one of baseball’s top catching prospects, with the 14th overall pick in the 2023 draft.

Brian Abraham, Boston’s director of player development, was asked about that in a conversation with The Athletic’s Chad Jennings earlier this month. Abraham acknowledged that: “We definitely have had some conversations with Nathan, before even Kyle Teel was here, about seeing him elsewhere.”

Hickey, a native of Jacksonville, grew up as an infielder. Before assuming full-time catching responsibilities at Florida, he also played a little first and third base in his time with the Gators. The Red Sox, according to Abraham, still plan on having Hickey catch “quite a bit” this upcoming season, but first base — and possibly other positions — are on the table as well.

“Being athletic behind the plate will allow him to be athletic at another position, whether that’s first base or elsewhere,” Abraham told Jennings. “And really, the bat is his driver. The bat is what’s going to allow him to have success in the big leagues. So, for us, it’s imperative to find the place for him with the ability he has to impact the baseball.”

Hickey, for his part, has embraced “the challenge of his position and plays with an edge to prove doubters wrong,” per his Baseball America scouting report from last February. He was also able to work with Sea Dogs manager Chad Epperson, who previously served as Boston’s catching coordinator for 12 years, after being promoted to Portland.

“I want to improve on being able to keep strikes strikes and just be able to gain some strikes,” Hickey told MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith back in August. “And I want to be able to control the pitching staff, which I feel like this year compared to last year, I’ve done a lot better job this year of being able to control the starters and the relievers and the new guys coming in. Just being able to be more all-around as a catcher rather than just be good at one thing.”

Hickey, who — like Teel — participated in the Red Sox’ recent rookie development program, is projected by SoxProspects.com to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 campaign. As he explained to Smith, Hickey would prefer to catch long-term, but he understand that the decision is not necessarily be in his control.

“If they were like, ‘Hey, we’re going to put you at second,’ I would 100 percent try to be the best second baseman that I could be,” Hickey said. “It’s more I want to catch in Boston because Boston is top tier of baseball — of any org in MLB. I want to be able to just help the team win but I want to be able to catch in Boston.”

(Picture of Nathan Hickey: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

How did Red Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel fare in pro debut?

Kyle Teel has wasted little time in establishing himself as the top catching prospect in the Red Sox farm system.

After a storied three-year career at the University of Virginia, Teel was selected by Boston with the 14th overall pick in last summer’s amateur draft. The 21-year-old was viewed by most industry publications as the best catcher in his class and entered the professional ranks with lofty expectations as a result.

Though he supported the Yankees while growing up in suburban New Jersey, Teel officially signed with the Red Sox for exactly $4 million on July 21. Shortly after putting pen to paper and taking batting practice at Fenway Park, the Mahwah native headed south to Fort Myers to prepare for his highly-anticipated pro debut.

On August 3, Teel debuted for the rookie-level Florida Complex League Red Sox in their game against the FCL Orioles in Bradenton. He went 0-for-2 in that contest, but followed that up by hitting his first professional home run as part of 2-for-4 performance against the FCL Twins two days later. On the same day he went 0-for-2 with a walk in a 9-1 loss to the Orioles on Aug. 7, it was revealed that Teel would be making the direct jump to High-A Greenville.

Skipping Low-A Salem entirely as a result of that decision, Teel was inserted into Greenville’s lineup for the first time on Aug. 8. The left-handed hitter immediately strung together three consecutive three-hit games and went on to slash a stout .377/.485/.453 with four doubles, nine RBIs, 10 runs scored, one stolen base, 11 walks, and 11 strikeouts in 14 games (66 plate appearances) for the Drive.

As the calendar flipped from August to September, the Red Sox elected to promote both Teel and outfielder Roman Anthony from Greenville to Double-A Portland for the final stretch of the 2023 campaign. While Anthony — at 19 years old — became the first teenage prospect to make it to Double-A since Xander Bogaerts did so in 2012, Teel became the first Red Sox first-rounder since 2005 (Craig Hansen) to get to Boston’s Eastern League affiliate in the same year he was drafted.

Though Anthony and Teel were tasked with facing upper-minors pitching for the first time in their respective young careers, both were clearly up for the challenge. Teel, in particular, batted .323/.462/.484 with two doubles, one home run, 11 RBIs, three runs scored, two stolen bases, eight walks, and 11 strikeouts in his final nine games (39 plate appearances) of the year with the Sea Dogs.

All told, Teel compiled a .363/.482/.495 slash line (173 wRC+) with six doubles, two homers, 22 runs driven in, 15 runs scored, three stolen bases, 21 walks, and 22 strikeouts across 26 games spanning 114 trips to the plate at three different levels (FCL, High-A, and Double-A). Among the 89 Red Sox minor-leaguers who eclipsed the century mark in plate appearances last season, Teel led the pack in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS (.977), wRC+, and line-drive rate (31.9 percent), per FanGraphs.

Defensively, Teel unsurprisingly saw all of his playing time on the field in his pro debut come at catcher. Between his stops at Fort Myers, Greenville, and Portland, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound backstop logged 166 innings behind the plate, allowing only three passed balls while throwing out 12 of 41 potential base stealers. In four starts with the Sea Dogs specifically, he nabbed two would-be base stealers in nine attempts without committing an error.

Teel, who turns 22 next month, comes into 2024 ranked by Baseball America as the No. 3 prospect in Boston’s farm system (trailing only Marcelo Mayer and Anthony) and the No. 85 prospect in the sport. In somewhat similar fashion, MLB Pipeline currently regards Teel as the Red Sox’ fourth-ranked prospect (Ceddane Rafaela is ahead of him and behind Mayer/Anthony) and the 82nd-ranked prospect in baseball.

With plus arm strength and a strong defensive profile complementing a still-developing bat, Teel has the chance to emerge as Boston’s everyday catcher of the future. Barring a trade, which cannot be ruled out at this point, he is projected to return to Portland for the start of the 2024 minor-league season.

According to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier, who also compiles the Red Sox’ organizational rankings for Baseball America, Boston won’t rush Teel out of Portland to begin the year since he only just started to learn to call his own games. Still, there is a chance that Teel works his way to Triple-A Worcester this season and puts himself in position to make his major-league debut by 2025.

In the meantime, Teel and 10 0ther Red Sox prospects are set to take part in the club’s annual rookie development program, which gets underway in Boston next Monday. Teel and several others from that group — including fellow catcher Nathan Hickey — will then head to Springfield for Winter Weekend at the end of the week.

(Picture of Kyle Teel: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)