The Red Sox have acted aggressively with first-round pick Kyle Teel, and the catcher is already rewarding their faith.
Promoted directly from rookie ball to High-A Greenville, Teel delivered an outstanding debut on Tuesday, going 3 for 5 with two RBIs and throwing out a runner in a 14-8 victory over Greensboro.
That's a promising start for the Virginia product, who was selected 14th overall in last month's draft after being named ACC Player of the Year and winning the Buster Posey Award for the best catcher in college baseball.
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Now hitting .500 through four games, Teel singled sharply to right three times on Tuesday, showing off the sweet left-handed stroke that helped him hit .407 with 13 homers for the Cavaliers this season.
That the 21-year-old has already reached High-A is extremely rare, especially for a catcher. As it is, according to The Boston Globe, Teel is the first Red Sox farmhand to reach High-A in his draft year since Dustin Pedroia in 2004, and we know how his career turned out.
Check out the highlights of Teel's big night below.