This story was excerpted from Scott Merkin's White Sox Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Kyle Teel likes rollercoasters.
It’s the ups and downs, the hairpin turns, the excitement of those two or three minutes. Whatever the particulars, it works for the No. 2 White Sox prospect and No. 28 overall in MLB Pipeline’s Top 100.
We are talking amusement parks, of course, in this instance. When it comes to his baseball career, currently with Triple-A Charlotte, Teel would like to avoid the extra adventurous aspects of the ride.
“Ideally, what you want is that rollercoaster, the highs to get a little lower and the lows to get a little higher,” a smiling Teel told me recently before a game at Truist Field. “I just want to stay right in the middle.
“Keep riding it out, and eventually that middle will raise up a little bit. It’s not big highs and low lows.”
Teel’s offensive game for the Knights has shown the normal ebbs and flows over a 34-game stretch, settling at a solid slash line of .264/.361/.416 with four home runs, five doubles, 21 RBIs and four stolen bases. But his game behind the plate shows the most growth and development.
Until Edgar Quero’s White Sox promotion on April 17, the No. 58 prospect and Teel shared time at catcher for manager Sergio Santos’ squad. Teel is getting more regular starts while he continues working with bench coach Angel Rosario and catching coordinator Julio Mosquera.
Veteran catcher Omar Narváez lends his expertise, showing Teel things about his routine and what he does to get warmed up. Right-hander Justin Dunn is another player Teel talks with frequently, calling him a great influence on the information he’s gained in calling a game.
“I just want to learn as much as I can from those guys. Just taking little bits and pieces from what I can, tools in the tool belt,” Teel said. “I would say I have a great knowledge of the game back there.
“I’m extremely confident in my ability, and I know what I have to do every day to have success. It’s just little things that are the difference makers now. What questions do I need to ask my pitchers when they are in the outfield shagging? How am I going to attack these hitters? It’s the finer things ingrained within this game.”
Attacking those finer things has not gone unnoticed by Teel’s teammates and coaches.
“From beginning to now, the extra two or three games per week has really helped out,” said Santos.
“He’s out there, he’s talking to us all the time in the clubhouse, outside on the field,” Charlotte reliever Adisyn Coffey said of his battery mate. “He’s working really hard to get on the same page as all the pitchers. He’s coming along really nice.”
“You see him behind the plate, and you think, ‘That guy is going to play in the big leagues at some point,’” Rosario said. “He likes to work. He’s working every day. He wants to be better. We got something down there for the future. We’ll have two good catchers in the big leagues.”
A high confidence level emanates from the 23-year-old left-handed hitter, even in a 5- or 6-minute conversation. He considers himself Major League ready, but it’s about bringing that preparedness to the field with Charlotte every day.
“It’s not about the next level yet,” Teel said. “It’s about doing everything I can right here, right now.”
“Spending the majority of the year down here will be good for Teel, where he’s catching 4 or 5 times per week,” Santos said. “Especially at this level and at that position, there’s so much thrown at you. With the pitch clock, it shortens your time. Him getting reps and reps and reps will be great.”
Reps and work are what Teel wants, what he’s using to thrive. Avoiding the rollercoaster, at least until he’s away from the field, is also part of the plan.
“Although I do love rollercoasters,” Teel said with a laugh. “But no, not in this game. Overall, I’m progressing and moving in the right direction. I’m learning a lot this season. It’s getting a little bit better every single day.”
“Edgar's here first, but we're excited about Kyle and constantly monitoring how Kyle's doing there,” White Sox bench coach Walker McKinven said. “We're excited about him, too.”