How Red Sox Top 2023 Draft Picks Performed In Pro Debut

The road to the major leagues began in earnest Thursday for Boston Red Sox top draft picks Kyle Teel and Nazzan Zanetello.

Teel and Zanetello played in their first professional game in a very low level of minor league baseball, suiting up for the Florida Complex League Red Sox.

And it ended up being an uneventful debut for the two youngsters. Both Teel and Zanetello went 0-for-2 at the plate.

Teel and Zanetello both drew plenty of praise after the Red Sox selected them in the first and second round, respectively, in last month’s Major League Baseball draft.

Teel, a left-handed hitter who turned in a stellar junior campaign this year at the University of Virginia, was the top catching prospect in the draft and was looked at as a steal for sliding to the Red Sox at No. 14 overall. Teel even compared himself to former San Francisco Giants standout backstop Buster Posey, which was backed up by his college coach due to the athleticism the 21-year-old possesses behind the plate.

Zanetello, who Boston picked 50th overall, followed the Red Sox trend of selecting high school middle infielders. The 18-year-old certainly has room to grow but has five-tool potential as he can impact a game in a variety of areas.

Both Teel and Zanetello will have plenty of time to showcase their talents on the farm as their big league debuts are far off into the future. One MLB writer predicted Teel getting promoted to the Red Sox during the 2025 season. Teel is likely to be assigned to a full-season affiliate soon — in all likelihood Single-A Salem — according to The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier.

And moving up the minor-league ladder is all the two can hope for as they set their sights on getting to the big leagues.