Sox Trade Acquisition Turns Head: Spring Performance Makes Strong Case for Starting Role
After being acquired from the Boston Red Sox in a mega-trade this offseason, Chicago White Sox catching prospect Kyle Teel has more than held his own this spring.
Teel, 23, was brought in this winter in the trade that sent All-Star lefty Garrett Crochet to Boston. He is 5-for-15 at the plate with two home runs. Though he’s unlikely to make the roster out of spring training, MLB Pipeline projects him to make his major league debut this season.
He is the No. 2 prospect in the organization and No. 32 overall.
Teel hit .288 last season between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester. He played 28 games at Triple-A, hitting .255 with two home runs. Since he’s already had the exposure to Triple-A pitching, he’s likely not too far off from getting a major league call, but the organization probably wants him to get significantly more at-bats at that level.
Assuming Teel doesn’t break camp with Chicago, the team will likely go with Matt Thaiss and Korey Lee.
A first-round pick in 2023, Teel played his college ball at the University of Virginia.
The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:
Teel has a sound left-handed swing, a disciplined approach and a higher offensive ceiling than most catchers. He uses the entire field, with most of his home run power going to his pull side. He should hit for average while drawing plenty of walks and providing 15-20 homers per year.
Coming off a 41-121 season in 2024, the White Sox prospects will be the main reason for following the organization in 2025, and Teel could be the first one to get a major league opportunity.
