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Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham talks Kyle Teel, other top prospects
Abraham spoke in Worcester on Saturday and provided some insight into the Portland Sea Dogs' "big three" of Teel, Marcelo Mayer, and Roman Anthony.
The Red Sox are already showcasing young, homegrown talent in Boston this season, and they have a lot of exciting prospects in their pipeline, too.
Boston’s director of player development, Brian Abraham, spoke on Saturday as part of the “Great Polar Park Writers” series in Worcester. During his talk, he provided a lot of insight into the Red Sox’ future stars, namely the “big three” currently residing with the Portland Sea Dogs: Kyle Teel, Marcelo Mayer, and Roman Anthony.
“We’re excited about the progress they’re all making [in Portland],” Abraham said. “They’re good people, and they work hard, and I think that can go a long way. … Obviously incredible baseball players, but to me what’s exciting as well, that they’re going to represent Boston and the fanbase really well.”
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Teel is arguably Boston’s hottest-hitting prospect, at least by this season’s numbers. He’s batting .313 with eight home runs and 45 RBI, and his OPS is just shy of .900. Teel was drafted in the first round of last year’s MLB draft and has moved through the pipeline quickly. With his steady growth, it’s difficult to envision the catcher staying in Portland for the entire season.
“It feels like he’s been here for 10 years, even though he’s only been here a year,” Abraham said of Teel. “He’s an incredible young man, he calls a good game, he’s a leader, handles the staff, and hits the ball.”
Abraham also noted, though, that with Teel and all the Red Sox prospects, there’s no reason to rush them through too quickly.
“There are development opportunities where they are, they’re not finished products,” Abraham said. “They all have areas that they need to improve on, and the Double-A environment currently still allows for them to improve in those areas.”
Mayer is performing very similarly to Teel on the offensive side. He commands a .316 batting average with two fewer home runs and only 33 RBI, but has 25 doubles to Teel’s 14.
Mayer is currently playing third base, which Abraham notes is “for some exposure.”
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“He’s a solid defender, smooth lefty swing,” Abraham said. “We want him to improve his swing decisions and zone contact and impacting the ball more consistently.”
As for Anthony, he’s batting .267 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs. He also has the least plate appearances among the three standouts.
“He’s an incredible kid, and incredible worker … he’s everything you want out of a young player,” Abraham said of the 20-year-old. “We want to see him put the ball in the air more, pulling the ball in the air results in more power, more home runs.”
The Red Sox have multiple young stars already making a big impact in the big leagues. Jarren Duran leads the MLB in triples and is gaining legitimate All-Star buzz in the outfield.
Ceddanne Rafaela has proved his value in spades, not only as a solid everyday center fielder, but as a reliable shortstop in a pinch, as well. Triston Casas has been injured for the majority of the season, but his offensive presence is undeniable.
Portland’s big three could be next up to make a lasting impact at the Major League level in Boston.
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