June 5, 2025, could go down as one of the better days in recent Chicago White Sox history. First, maligned longtime owner Jerry Reinsdorf agreed to a potentially monumental organizational shake-up. Then, the club braced to promote one of its top prospects, catcher Kyle Teel.
Teel was scratched from the lineup ahead of Triple-A Charlotte's contest on Thursday, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. The move reportedly comes with his MLB debut in short order -- the following day -- to be exact.
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White Sox fans are set to see why Kyle Teel was the focal point of the Garrett Crochet trade
To the average White Sox fan, Teel may be just a name. But to the true South Siders, he's known as the big fish in the trade that sent ace Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox. The 23-year-old is set to get his first taste of the Majors when Chicago begins a three-game homestand against the Kansas City Royals.
Chase Meidroth, who was also part of the White Sox's incoming Crochet package, looks the part of a promising young infielder as a rookie. Braden Montgomery has been exciting at Single-A Kannapolis, though it hasn't necessarily translated to High-A, highlighting his stage of development. But Teel was the headliner of Chicago's blockbuster deal with Boston, which netted them four minor leaguers.
Teel is the No. 2 player in Chicago's farm system and 26th in baseball's overall pipeline rankings. He's slashing .295/.394/.492 with eight home runs and 30 RBIs while posting a stellar .886 OPS across 183 at-bats with Triple-A Charlotte this season. His above-average speed for a backstop has been on display, as demonstrated by seven stolen bases in eight attempts.
Conversely, Teel's strikeout rate has been higher than the White Sox would like, though that's part of the growing pains. His respectable knack for drawing walks is a positive indicator that reflects he can be more disciplined at the plate with more reps. Chicago calling him up presumably ends their catching platoon of rookie Edgar Quero and Korey Lee.