Kyle Teel Selected 14th Overall by the Boston Red Sox

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia catcher Kyle Teel was selected 14th overall by the Boston Red Sox in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft on Sunday (July 9). Teel is the 15th Cavalier to be drafted in the first round and 95th MLB Draft pick to play for head Coach Brian O’Connor.

Teel is the most decorated catcher to ever come out of the Virginia baseball program. A breakout junior campaign helped the Mahwah, N.J. native earn the Buster Posey Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award, the first player in UVA history to collect the sport’s top catching honor. At the conclusion of the regular season, he was voted by the ACC coaches as the ACC Player of the Year, the first Cavalier to claim the award since 2006 (Sean Doolittle). Teel was a consensus First Team All-American, the first Cavalier to be listed on the first team by six different publications.

Hitting from the left side, Teel Batted .407 on the year, the sixth-highest single season average in UVA history, the second-highest in the ACC and the 14th best in college baseball this season. His average did not dip below .400 the entire year and he is only the third Virginia player since 1985 to bat over .400. He racked up 105 hits, 25 doubles, 13 home runs and 69 RBI over the course of 65 games in 2023.

Behind the plate he started all 65 games at catcher, playing all but 23 innings. Teel threw out 15 runners attempting steal and helped manage a Cavalier pitching staff that sported the fourth-lowest ERA in college baseball.

In three seasons, Teel boasted a .343 career average, the 10th-highest in program history. His 28 career home runs are the seventh most of any Cavalier. He ranks eighth all-time in runs scored (170), ninth in total bases (376), ninth in doubles (48) & 10th in batting average (.343).