Red Sox draft Virginia catcher Kyle Teel with 14th overall pick

BOSTON -- The Red Sox addressed the organization's need behind the plate in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft on Sunday night, drafting Virginia catcher Kyle Teel with the 14th overall pick.

The lefty backstop earned several accolades during his time at Virginia, including 2023 ACC Player of the Year and a consensus selection as a First Team All-American. Teel was ranked the No. 7 prospect available by MLB.com and No. 10 by Baseball America ahead of the draft.

Joining the Red Sox will require the 21-year-old to switch his baseball allegiance. A native of New Jersey, Teel grew up a fan of the New York Yankees.

"But now, I bleed red," Teel said on a conference call after being selected. "I'm excited to get going."

Teel was a beast at the plate and behind it for the Cavaliers in 2023, batting .407 (105-for-258) with a 1.130 OPS, 25 doubles, 13 home runs, and 69 RBI over his 65 games. He threw out 15 of 24 runners that tried to swipe a base off him, and he also managed Virginia's pitching staff to the fourth-lowest ERA in Division I at 3.81.

For his efforts behind the dish, Teel earned the Buster Posey Collegiate Catcher of the Year award and was also named the Top NCAA Male Baseball Catcher as part of the Johnny Bench Awards.

And while he grew up rooting for the guys in pinstripes, Teel is no stranger to New England. He played eight games for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2022, and played in a showcase at Fenway Park in the summer of 2019. 

He very much enjoyed his experience at the home of the Red Sox, and hopes to hit plenty of balls off the Green Monster in the near future.

"To be honest, my favorite ballpark I've ever played at is Fenway up to this point in my career," he said Sunday. "It's really cool to be picked by the Boston Red Sox."

In addition to selecting Teel on Sunday night, Boston also drafted shortstop Nazzan Zanetello out of Christian Brothers College High School in Missouri with the 50th overall pick in the second round. The 18-year-old was a 2023 First Team All-State selection after hitting .421 with nine doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 33 RBI, and 21 stolen bases over 38 games during his senior season.

Zantello had committed to play for the University of Arkansas prior to being drafted by the Red Sox.