Every player on a well-rounded baseball team has a particular role that they play.
Good teams usually have a power bat that provides instant offense, a spark plug that’s electrifying on the base paths, and a clutch hitter that always comes up with a two out knock.
On the mound, there’s the reliable innings eaters, the "big game starter," and the shutdown high-leverage relief pitchers. Then, of course, you have your locker room leaders.
As the Chicago White Sox look to become a contending team once again, they’ll need to figure out which players in their current promising core can fill each of those roles.
Colson Montgomery has established himself as a potential 30–40 home run threat who could develop into a true middle-of-the-order bat. Chase Meidroth, while not possessing game breaking speed, is one of those energizing players that always gets the ball rolling for a big inning.
Veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman is a great example of a locker room leader that can model what it takes to be a big leaguer for young rookies.
Then there’s catcher Kyle Teel. Teel is a do-it-all kind of guy, but if we look at the 2025 season, he’s the straw that stirs the drink. Simply put, the White Sox go as Kyle Teel goes. I don’t see that changing anytime soon.
Kyle Teel's success is directly tied to team success
In games in which Kyle Teel has recorded a hit, the White Sox are 20-17 this season. When Teel is hitless, the White Sox are a miserable 8-21.
Something interesting that's really starting to become clear... Kyle Teel is the emotional talisman of this team.
— SleeperWhiteSox (@SleeperWhiteSox) September 16, 2025
In games where he goes hitless, we're 8-21.
In games where has has one... 20-17.
When Kyle gets going, the whole clubhouse gets fired up.#WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/SY6psuKH66
When Teel hits a home run, Chicago is 5-2. When Teel drives in a run, the White Sox are 13-7.
It’s clear to anybody who watches the Chicago White Sox play that Kyle Teel is an on-field leader. He does everything at 100. He loves baseball, and that’s contagious to his teammates. The White Sox not only got one of the most talented young catchers in the game from Boston for Garrett Crochet, they got a 23-year old that already plays like a captain.
If the White Sox took up an old NFL tradition of putting a “C” on the chest of their most influential players, Teel would be a shoe-in.
Next time you tune in for a Sox game, keeps these trends in mind. If Teel gets a hit and has success offensively, Chicago is much more likely to come away with a win. He's the key to the rebuild taking another step in 2026.