Former Bergen County baseball star selected by Boston Red Sox in MLB Draft first round
Three years ago, Kyle Teel gambled on his own talent. On Sunday night, his bet paid off.
The University of Virginia junior and former Mahwah High School standout was selected by the Boston Red Sox with the No. 14 overall pick of Major League Baseball’s First-Year Player Draft.
"It’s a dream come true. I always wanted to be a pro baseball player and I’m just so excited to get to work," Teel said Sunday night. "I developed a ton in college and betting on myself was the best decision I could have ever made."
The Bergen County native is the first player from North Jersey to be selected in the first round since Rob Kaminsky of St. Joseph (Montvale) was chosen 28th overall by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013. Teel is the sixth Bergen County product to be selected in the first round, joining Pat Picillo (Rutherford, Seton Hall, 1984), Doug Glanville (Teaneck, UPenn, 1991), Ron Villone (Bergenfield, UMass, 1992), Shooter Hunt (Ramapo, Tulane, 2008) and Kaminsky.
Teel is the Garden State's highest draft pick since pitcher Jason Groome of Barnegat High School went 12th overall to the Boston Red Sox in 2016.
Teel likely would have been drafted high out of high school, but opted out of the 2020 Draft that April after the high school and NCAA seasons were canceled due to the COVID pandemic. At the time, Teel was a senior at Mahwah and projected to be picked in the top three rounds.
Three years later, the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Teel is fresh off one of the greatest individual seasons in Virginia program history. As a left-handed hitting catcher, he hit 13 home runs and batted batted .407, the sixth-highest batting average ever for a Virginia hitter. He racked up a school-record 25 doubles and drove in 69 runs all while starting each of Virginia’s 65 games behind the plate.
“I wasn’t entirely sure where I’d go in the draft. I was told anywhere between No. 5 and 20. Anywhere in between. That’s how it ended up," Teel said. “I put in a lot of hard work. When you put in hard work it pays off. I’m going to continue to work hard, keep my head down, play baseball and have fun."
Teel was the second catcher taken after Kansas City selected Blake Mitchell out of Sinton High School (Texas). The slot value of the 14th pick is projected at $4,663,100.
“The Red Sox were always a team that I talked to in the past, especially when I was in high school. I’ve always had a great relationship with some of the Red Sox scouts like Ray Fagnant and I’ve always heard great things," Teel said. "I wasn’t entirely sure where I was going to go tonight and I couldn’t be any happier that I’m going to Boston.”
As a four-year starter at Mahwah, Teel was named Gatorade New Jersey High School Player of the Year in 2020. In his final season at Mahwah, his junior year, he batted .574 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs. He was rated as New Jersey’s top prospect in the class of 2020 by multiple organizations.
“It’s really an honor to represent Mahwah and New Jersey. New Jersey is really great at developing ball players and I think it has to do with how hard we work and the work ethic of the players that come out of North Jersey," Teel said. "It’s an honor to keep it going.”
A dual-sport athlete, Teel was also a three-year starter at quarterback for the Thunderbirds football team. He signed with Virginia in late fall 2019 after verbally committing to the Cavaliers as a freshman.
“It’s kind of funny, but I was a Yankees fan growing up. But now I bleed red," Teel said. "I’m excited to get going. Now it’s time to get to work. I can’t wait.”
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Kyle Teel: Former Virginia, Mahwah NJ star selected by Boston Red Sox
