Kyle Teel

Kyle Teel
Teel with the Charlotte Knights in 2025
Chicago White Sox – No. 8
Catcher
Born: (2002-02-15) February 15, 2002
Ridgewood, New Jersey, U.S.
Bats: Left
Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 6, 2025, for the Chicago White Sox
MLB statistics
(through 2025 season)
Batting average.273
Home runs8
Runs batted in35
Stats at Baseball Reference 
Teams
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing the  United States
Haarlem Baseball Week
2022 Team

Kyle Henry Teel[1] (born February 15, 2002) is an American professional baseball catcher for the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball (MLB). He played college baseball for the Virginia Cavaliers, and was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft. Teel was traded to the White Sox in 2024 and made his MLB debut in 2025. He is also a member of team Italy for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

Family

Teel is the son of Garett Teel and Janine LiButti.[2][3] His father played minor league baseball in the Los Angeles Dodgers organization after the 1989 Major League Baseball draft.[3][4] His mother played college softball for William Paterson University.[3][2] His cousin Mike Teel was briefly third quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.[2] His younger brother Aidan has played college baseball under Brian O'Connor at Virginia and Mississippi State.[3]

Amateur career

Born in Ridgewood, New Jersey,[5] Teel grew up in Mahwah, New Jersey, and attended Mahwah High School. On the baseball team he played shortstop primarily, as well as outfielder, pitcher, and catcher.[6] He had a .574 batting average in 61 at bats with eight home runs and 31 RBIs as a junior.[6] Teel was named the New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year during his senior year.[7] He also was the starting quarterback of Mahwah's football team.[8]

Teel was considered a top high school catching prospect in the 2020 MLB draft, but opted out.[9] After graduating high school, he played summer collegiate baseball for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters of the Northwoods League, and posted a .258/.348/.392 slash line in 97 at bats.[10]

Teel played as a designated hitter (19 games), right fielder (19 games), and catcher (15 games) as a freshman at the University of Virginia, and was named third-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) at designated hitter after slashing .335/.416/.526 with 70 hits, nine home runs, and 41 RBIs in 209 at bats.[6][11] He slashed .276/.402/.439 with 12 doubles, six home runs, and 45 RBIs in 221 at bats during his sophomore season, playing primarily catcher.[12] After the season, Teel played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League,[13] and was selected to play for the United States collegiate national team.[14]

Teel entered his junior season as a projected first round pick in the 2023 MLB draft.[15] On May 22, 2023, Teel was named ACC Player of the Year in baseball.[16] In late June, he was named the 2023 recipient of the Buster Posey Award, a national catcher of the year award.[17] He was also a consensus selection to the 2023 College Baseball All-America Team.[18]

Professional career

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox selected Teel in the first round, with the 14th overall selection, of the 2023 Major League Baseball draft.[19] On July 21, 2023, Teel signed with the Red Sox,[20] reportedly for a $4 million signing bonus.[21] He made his professional debut on August 3, in the Florida Complex League (FCL) with the FCL Red Sox.[22] He was promoted to the High-A Greenville Drive on August 9.[23]

Teel began the 2024 season with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, ranked as the Red Sox' number three minor-league prospect by Baseball America.[24] In August, he was promoted to the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox, along with fellow-prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer.[25] At the time of his promotion, Teel had posted a .298/.390/.462 slash line with Portland.[25]

Chicago White Sox

On December 11, 2024, Teel, along with Braden Montgomery, Chase Meidroth, and Wikelman González, was traded to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Garrett Crochet.[26] The next year, a viral video was posted of Teel hitting a home run off of Roki Sasaki during a practice game. In 50 appearances for the Triple-A Charlotte Knights, Teel batted .295/.394/.492 with eight home runs, 30 RBI, and seven stolen bases.[27]

On June 6, 2025, Teel was selected to the 40-man roster and promoted to the major leagues for the first time.[28] On July 23, Teel hit his first major league home run against the Tampa Bay Rays, measuring 336 feet to right field.[29]

International career

Teel played for Team Italy in the 2026 World Baseball Classic.[30] Italian nationality law allows for citizenship through descent, making Teel eligible through his mother.[31] Although Teel does not in fact have Italian citizenship, the possibility is enough to be eligible to play for Italy under World Baseball Classic rules.[32]

During a game against Team USA, Teel injured his right hamstring after hitting a double and left the game.[33] Before exiting, Teel had been 4–6 in pool play.[34]

References

  1. ^ "Teels: Family sports legacy grows". The Record. Hackensack, New Jersey. September 20, 2002. p. S-12. Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c Sullivan, Tara (March 22, 2024). "Kyle Teel is the Red Sox catcher of the future. Success is in his blood". The Boston Globe. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d Farrell, Brendan (March 13, 2026). "Aidan Teel writing his own story after following Brian O'Connor to Starkville". Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. Tupelo: Yahoo Sports. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  4. ^ "Garett Teel Stats, Age, Position, Height, Weight, Fantasy & News". MiLB.com. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  5. ^ Kyle Teel Archived May 3, 2025, at the Wayback Machine, Minor league baseball. Accessed April 25, 2025. "Born: 2/15/2002 in Ridgewood, NJ"
  6. ^ a b c "Kyle Teel". Virginia Cavaliers Official Athletic Site. January 12, 2021. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
  7. ^ Samuels, Montana (May 27, 2020). "Mahwah High's Kyle Teel Named NJ Gatorade Player Of The Year". Patch.com. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
  8. ^ Bennett, Conlin (June 16, 2021). "Virginia baseball standout Kyle Teel developed toughness playing high school football". The Daily Progress. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  9. ^ King III, George A. (April 24, 2020). "NJ baseball star Kyle Teel passes on draft and will attend Virginia". New York Post. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  10. ^ "Virginia baseball signee Kyle Teel proving he belongs in Northwoods League". The Daily Progress. July 10, 2020. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  11. ^ "After a full offseason of preparation, Kyle Teel takes the reins as Virginia's full-time catcher". The Daily Progress. February 10, 2022. Archived from the original on March 1, 2023. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  12. ^ Newton, Matt (December 14, 2022). "Two Virginia Baseball Players Listed in Top 100 Prospects for 2023 MLB Draft". SI.com. Archived from the original on December 17, 2022. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  13. ^ "Kyle Teel – Profile". pointstreak.com. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  14. ^ "After brief stint at the Cape, UVA baseball stars Gelof and Teel trying out for Team USA". Richmond Times-Dispatch. June 29, 2022. Retrieved December 19, 2022.
  15. ^ Flaherty, Peter (February 20, 2023). "College Baseball Week One Standouts: Paul Skenes Shines, Kyle Teel Gets On Track". Baseball America. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  16. ^ "Teel Voted ACC Player of the Year, Seven Cavaliers Honored". virginiasports.com. May 22, 2023.
  17. ^ "Teel Claims Nation's Top Catching Honor". Virginia Athletics. June 30, 2023.
  18. ^ Newton, Matt (June 30, 2023). "Kyle Teel Named Consensus First-Team All-American, Nation's Top Catcher". Cavaliers Now. Retrieved July 11, 2023 – via MSN.com.
  19. ^ "MLB Draft 2023: Tracking all the Red Sox picks on the final day". The Boston Globe. July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  20. ^ "Red Sox Roster & Staff: Transactions". MLB.com. Boston Red Sox. July 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  21. ^ Franco, Anthony (July 21, 2023). "Red Sox Agree To Terms With Their Top Two Draft Picks". mlbtraderumors.com. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  22. ^ Osgood, Bob (August 4, 2023). "Minor Lines 8/3/23: Bombs Away in Worcester; Kyle Teel and Nazzan Zanetello debut". overthemonster.com. Retrieved August 5, 2023.
  23. ^ McCarthy, Colin (August 9, 2023). "Red Sox first-round pick Kyle Teel dazzles in Greenville debut". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  24. ^ Speier, Alex (April 1, 2024). "A look at the Red Sox' full-season minor league affiliates and the top prospects at each level". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  25. ^ a b Speier, Alex (August 14, 2024). "Why the Red Sox' Big Three were promoted to Triple A together, and why the pressure is on". The Boston Globe. Retrieved August 15, 2024.
  26. ^ Browne, Ian (December 11, 2024). "Crochet dealt to Red Sox for big prospect haul". MLB.com. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  27. ^ McDonald, Darragh (June 6, 2025). "White Sox Designate Ryan Cusick For Assignment, Option Korey Lee". MLB Trade Rumors. Retrieved December 15, 2025.
  28. ^ Merkin, Scott (June 7, 2025). "Kyle Teel called up to White Sox for Major League debut". MLB.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2025. Retrieved November 16, 2025.
  29. ^ Baller, Aidan (July 24, 2025). "Kyle Teel Crushes First Big-League Home Run". Virginia Cavaliers On SI. Archived from the original on December 31, 2025. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  30. ^ Greenberg, Jon (March 11, 2026). "Team Italy standouts Kyle Teel, Sam Antonacci inspire hope for White Sox". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  31. ^ Guilarte, Julian (January 26, 2026). "White Sox Catcher Kyle Teel will play for Italy in WBC". World Baseball Network. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  32. ^ Athletic, The (March 10, 2026). "Why are so many U.S.-born players on other teams?". The Athletic. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
  33. ^ Tredinnick, Andrew. "Is Kyle Teel playing for Italy today in WBC? Injury news on North Jersey star". North Jersey Media Group. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  34. ^ "Teel (right hamstring) could be out 4–6 weeks; Italy to add new catcher". MLB.com. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
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