When do we see Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel?
Roman Anthony started the 2023 season as an 18-year-old in Single-A without much fanfare surrounding him. Meanwhile, Kyle Teel was in college. Fast forward a few months, and they were the two most talked about prospects in the Boston Red Sox system.
Anthony was promoted to High-A after 42 games in Single-A to start the year. While his surface numbers wouldn't blow you away, the left-handed hitting outfielder impressed with his exit velocity and swing decisions. As always, it feels necessary to remind everyone that Salem's ballpark does hitters no favors.
Anthony went on to terrorize High-A pitching for 54 games. With two weeks left in the season, he was promoted to Double-A. There, Anthony somehow looked even better.
He finished the season slashing .272/.403/.466 with 27 doubles, four triples, and 14 home runs between the three levels. Anthony drove in 64 runs, scored 78 more, and stole 16 bases.
Suddenly a top prospect in baseball, Anthony found himself in Double-A as a 19-year-old in 2023. He only had 52 games in Single-A and 54 games in High-A. With 10 games in Double-A, how many more will he get there before moving to Worcester?
Then there's Teel. The left-handed hitting catcher was the 14th pick in the 2023 draft. A fantastic defensive talent, he's also shown elite offensive potential. Teel played three games in Rookie Ball before getting promoted all the way up to High-A. He humiliated pitching at the level. After 14 games, he was promoted to Double-A for the final two weeks (with Anthony).
Teel finished the year slashing .363/.482/.495 with six doubles and two home runs between the three levels. Yes, that slash line is correct. He drove in 22 runs, scored 15 more, and stole three bases. Teel walked nearly as often (21) as he struck out (22).
The Red Sox proved they were high on Teel and felt he could hold his own flying up the minor leagues last season. Will that trend continue in 2024?
Boston found lightning in a bottle twice with Anthony and Teel in 2023. With both surprisingly making their way to Portland last year, it's hard to imagine they won't find themselves in Worcester in 2024. The only question is, when do they get there?