The Red Sox welcomed their 2023 first-round draft pick Kyle Teel to Fenway on Friday afternoon. The catcher out of the University of Virginia enters with plenty of hype after winning ACC Player of the Year.
After taking batting practice and signing his contract, Teel and his agent, Scott Boras, met with the media. During the conversation, a comparison arose between Teel and two-time World Series champion and current Red Sox game planning coordinator Jason Varitek. Both catchers feature, or featured, legitimate left-handed bats out of the ACC.
“I do in the perseverance,” Boras said on the Varitek comparison. “The idea of wanting to be a big leaguer and doing whatever it takes. I told ‘Tek today that (Kyle) is a little bit better of a runner and an infielder than ‘Tek was.”
Boras does exude excitement on Teel having Varitek around the organization to learn from.
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“What I’m most excited about it that they have some mentorship here in (Alex) Cora and (Jason) Varitek,” Boras said.
Teel himself expressed his own excitement in his first interactions with the former Red Sox backstop.
“It was great to meet him,” Teel said. “It’s a guy I looked up to. I’m excited to get to work with him.”
Featured image via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
