On a recent podcast one Chicago White Sox player shared his thoughts on one potential rule change coming in baseball.
Recently newly acquired Chicago White Sox top catching prospect joined the MLB Pipeline podcast with Jonathan Mayo and Jim Callis. Recently a list was published for the best catching prospects in baseball by MLB.com Sam Dykstra and Kyle Teel made the list ranking third. On the podcast Kyle Teel made his feelings known of one potential rule change coming to baseball.
The potential to be a star
The 22-year-old Teel was acquired by the Chicago White Sox in the deal that sent Garrett Crochet over to the Boston Red Sox. Teel is the second rated prospect in the Chicago White Sox system and the 25th for MLBs top 100. The Chicago White Sox have high hopes for Kyle Teel and with starting immediately at Double-A after being drafted by the Red Sox Teel for only a small sample size in the minors Teel has been amazing.
For his career so far in the minors Teel has only played in 138 games but has been outstanding with have a career slash line so far of .301/.404/.444 for an OPS of .848. For his splits Teel has shown to be able to hit both lefties and righties equally with him naturally seeing right-handers better given he’s left handed.
In 54 games versus left-handed pitching Teel had 2 HRs, 12 RBI, slashing .261/.355/.359 for an OPS of .714. While against righties in 112 games Teel had 11 HRs, 66 RBI, slashing .296/.394/.454 for an OPS of .848. Teel also showed he was clutch with having a .556 average and 1.427 OPS with the bases loaded, as well as showing the potential to possibly be a top of the order bat with having strong numbers there as well.
Thoughts on a potential rule change
Baseball has been incorporating a ton of rule changes in the recent years with the biggest amongst them being the pitch clock. One more potential rule change that will soon be coming to Major League Baseball is the automated strike zone. Durning Kyle Teel’s time in the minors he said on the podcast that he had to deal with the automated strike zone with it being tested throughout the minor leagues. Kyle Teel shared his thoughts on the challenge system by telling MLB Pipeline:
“Personally I don’t like the challenge system I like to being able to talk to the umpire and figure it out with him and getting strikes as a catcher there’s a lot of value in that part. I’m not a huge advocate of the challenge system, as a hitter I like the challenge system but I’m not a fan.”
That seems to be the most consistent answer given by most players especially from catchers. Building a relationship with the umpire is a core tenant to catching just like throwing out a runner. Being able to build a relationship with the umpire could steal you a couple of strikes at key parts of the game because of that rapport you’ve built up.
It also is helpful for the catcher to know the umpires zone so he can go back and inform his teammates for how it will look for the game. Having it be fully automated takes the human element out of the game which Teel expresses.
Having experience with it
Even thought Teel doesn’t like the automated system it appears like it will be coming to the game regardless. Thankfully Teel has experience with it so the adjustment to it shouldn’t be as bad as some of the veteran catchers in the league will have which benefits the Chicago White Sox greatly. Having that familiarity with it and potentially being the future backstop for the Chicago White Sox can only help further Kyle Teel in his development and getting him ready to be the future backstop for the Chicago White Sox.
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