One day many years ago in the magical land of Mahwah, New Jersey a boy was born. His name was Kyle Teel and he would become the highest-ranked catcher in the 2023 MLB Draft class. Teel was filled with integrity. This was displayed when he could have been drafted in 2020 directly out of high school but chose to honor his commitment to the University of Virginia. And, having followed his pure heart, was granted the position of starting catcher the moment he stepped onto the campus in Charlottesville.
It was in Charlottesville that his leadership skills presented themselves for all to see. And his baseball smarts were unrivaled. His strong arm and deft ability at throwing out runners were matched by none. Although, his offense, which was in question when he took to the battlefield in the Cape Cod League and played for Team USA, led some doubters to wonder if he could wield a mighty sword. But he slayed their misgivings his Junior year, putting up a slash line of .407/.475/.655.
Kyle Teel 2023 Draft Profile
Scouting Grades: Hit: 55 | Power: 45 | Run: 50 | Arm: 65 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55
Strengths
What does an MLB team want out of a good backstop? They want somebody with a strong arm. They want somebody who is very athletic, so athletic in fact that they could play other positions, such as second, third, or even the outfield. High IQ? You bet. How about a leader on the field? This is a must. Kyle Teel is all of these things and more, which is why he’s the highest-ranked catcher in the 2023 MLB Draft class.
What’s the “more”, you ask? He can hit. Markedly, Teel has the possibility to hit for both power and average. Granted he did have a literal sophomore slump in 2022, slashing .276/.402/.439, but he greatly made up for it in his aforementioned Junior year. If you’re looking for the best catcher in all of the land, Kyle Teel is your guy.
Weaknesses
The biggest problem in Teel’s game is his hitting identity. His sophomore slump and his difficulty at the plate during his time in the Cape Cod League and with Team USA led many scouts to question his ability. But his trials at the plate aren’t because the skills aren’t there. His skills should not be in question. The problem was that at the time, Teel was trying to figure out what kind of hitter he was. Was he going to be a contact hitter with some pop or was he going to be the currently more desirable power hitter?
It’s tempting to go outside of oneself. To a certain degree, we all want to fit in. But if it’s to the detriment of one’s game, if it’s against what’s natural, the outcome will be subpar. This is what happened to Teel’s hitting in the spring and summer of 2022. In short, the problem with Teel’s hitting was that he was trying to be a power hitter when he’s actually a contact hitter with some pop. If he sticks to his game, his hitting identity will no longer be a problem but a strength, which is evident in the numbers he posted during his Junior year.
MLB Comparison
Teel’s game is well-rounded. One skill doesn’t outshine the others too much. Although his arm is quite strong. And while Teel isn’t Lou Brock on the bases, he, luckily, isn’t Bengie Molina either. In comparison, the most well-rounded catcher in MLB is Philadelphia Phillies backstop J.T. Realmuto. Realmuto has a little more pop in his bat than Teel. And he can swipe 20+ bags in a season if his legs are up to it. It’s not likely that Teel will be coming close to that number on the basepaths. But with those differences aside they are both very strong defensively and are above average at the plate. Both catchers can beat you with the long ball as well. It’s likely that in a few seasons, they will be competing with one another for the prestigious Gold Glove Award.
Photo Credit: © Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
Players Mentioned:
Kyle Teel, Lou Brock, Bengie Molina, J.T. Realmuto
