The Boston Red Sox selected catcher Kyle Teel with the No. 14 pick in the first round of Sunday night's 2023 MLB Draft, and many experts are calling it a steal.
Teel was slotted as high as No. 5 on several pre-draft rankings, but he fell all the way to the Red Sox, who were more than happy to scoop him up.
What kind of player is Teel? The 21-year-old prospect compares his defensive game to future Hall of Famer Buster Posey.
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"I would say athleticism-wise, I compare myself to Buster Posey," Teel told MLB.com's Ian Browne. "He was just a great athlete back there. He was amazing. So I would compare myself to him."
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If Teel has a career like Posey's, this pick will go down as one of the best in Red Sox history.
Posey made his MLB debut with the San Francisco Giants in 2009 and played 12 years for the franchise before retiring after the 2021 season. He won an NL Rookie of the Year, an NL MVP, five Silver Sluggers, three Gold Glove Awards and a batting title. He also was one of the most important players on the Giants' World Series-winning teams in 2010, 2012 and 2014. Posey is not eligible to be on the Hall of Fame ballot until 2026, but should get in pretty easily.
Teel played at the University of Virginia, and in 2023 he tallied 67 runs scored, 105 hits, 25 doubles, 13 home runs, 69 RBI, 32 walks and 36 strikeouts in 65 games. He won the 2023 ACC Player of the Year award and the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year trophy.
Teel has a ton of talent, and now it's up to the Red Sox to make sure his development goes well and all of that potential is actually realized.