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“It’s a dream come true,” Teel said during a virtual news conference after he was drafted on Sunday, July 9. “I’ve always wanted to be a pro baseball player, and I’m so excited and ready to get to work.”
It was no surprise to those who know Teel, a consensus 1st team All American at the University of Virginia who won awards as the best collegiate catcher in the game and was New Jersey's Player of the Year in 2020 (He was also a closer and the football team's starting quarterback in Mahwah).
Teel, 21, of Upper Saddle River, could've been drafted after graduating that year, but he chose to go to college, then played summer ball for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters of the Northwoods League.
This spring, Teel hit .407 with a .475 OBP, 13 home runs, 69 RBIs, 105 hits, 67 runs scored and 25 doubles for UVA to win ACC Player of the Year honors for 2023.
But the lefty slugger -- whose swing is made for Fenway Park -- could hit for average and win you games in other ways, as well.
Over his three-season college career, Teel batted .343 with 28 home runs, 155 RBIs, 236 hits and 170 runs scored.
In a deep draft class, Teel was considered the best catcher in multiple ranking systems. MLB.com had ranked 7th overall among all prospective picks.
“Teel sliding this far is a shock, really," The Athletic's Keith Law wrote. "A college catcher who stays at the position, has a track record of hitting, is a good athlete, and played for an elite program in one of the two best conferences in the country doesn’t go in the top 10?
"I’m shocked, but Red Sox fans should be ecstatic."
SEE: Catcher Kyle Teel falls to Red Sox in draft, and immediately tops depth chart
“I think I developed a ton in college, and I think betting on myself was the best decision I could’ve ever made,” Teel told the media on Sunday.
“Thanks again to the UVA coaches and my teammates," he added. "We push each other every day to get better and I think that I’ve improved greatly since going to college.”
Teel, who was born at the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, said his favorite team growing up in North Jersey was -- who else? -- the New York Yankees.
"Now I bleed red," he said, "[and] I’m excited to get going....I can’t wait.”
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