Should the Marlins select Teel if he’s available with their first-round draft pick?
Position: C
Height: 6’1″
Weight: 190 pounds
School: Virginia
Kyle Teel is a 6’1”, 190-pound catcher who plays for the Virginia Cavaliers. Teel is one of the top overall prospects and is also considered the #1 catching prospect in the 2023 MLB Draft class as well.
Coming out of high school, Teel was a top 150 prospect and the #1 high school prospect in New Jersey. Teel went undrafted out of high school and honored his commitment to the University of Virginia.
During his first season at UVA, Teel earned a starting role and played in 54 games. Teel slashed .335/.416/.526 with 70 hits, 11 doubles, nine home runs, 41 RBIs, and a .942 OPS. Teel was named a Freshman All-American and earned All-ACC Third Team honors as a designated hitter.
In his sophomore season, Teel took a little bit of a step back, but was still a productive player. Teel slashed .276/.402/.439 with 61 hits, 12 doubles, six home runs, 41 walks, and a .841 OPS. He was also selected to play for the Team USA Collegiate National Team.
As a junior, Teel has had a breakout season, establishing himself as one of the best hitters in the country. Teel is slashing .413/.481/.665 with 105 hits, 25 doubles, 13 home runs, 69 RBIs, and a 1.147 OPS to lead the Cavaliers to a College World Series berth.
Teel is a smart, talented hitter. He has good hitting and defensive tools to go along with his high “baseball IQ.” On MLB Pipeline, Teel is the 10th-ranked prospect and the #1 catcher in the draft. The Athletic has Teel as their sixth-ranked draft prospect.
Strengths
- Plus hit tools
- Advanced plate approach
- High baseball IQ
- Extremely athletic
- Plus arm strength
Weaknesses
- Struggled to hit his sophomore season
- Doesn’t possess plus power potential
- Struggled offensively last summer in the Cape Cod
Pro Comparison: Patrick Bailey
Projection: Top 10 pick
Bottom Line
Kyle Teel is the best catching prospect in a draft class that doesn’t have a lot of high-level catchers. He is one of the best athletes in this class and will be very sound defensively at the next level.
The Miami Marlins have a major need at catcher and could view Teel as a long-term solution at the position. If he can be an average big league hitter, he will be a huge upgrade for them.
Featured image courtesy of kyle_teel/Instagram
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