The Boston Red Sox made the decision Thursday to call up Payton Tolle, and have him start Friday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Boston Red Sox have boasted one of the best farm systems for the last couple of years. Even after the departures of Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, and Roman Anthony, the Sox farm ranks 11th in MLB. Tolle is the second Sox top 100 to get called up this month, joining Jhostynxon Garcia.
Injuries have ravaged the Red Sox to an insane degree. Kutter Crawford’s season ended back in June after undergoing wrist surgery. Tanner Houck recently underwent Tommy John surgery on August 18th. Richard Fitts got shut down after his last appearance against the Baltimore Orioles, and Walker Buehler was released as of Friday.
So, while the call-up is out of necessity, Tolle has done more than enough to be considered one of the best Sox pitching prospects in years. Those are not my words, but the words of MLB.com’s Ian Browne.
Two-Way Dreams?
Starting off as a two-way player, Tolle switched to pitcher only after transferring to TCU from Wichita State. Tolle proceeded to win Big 12 pitcher of the year in his lone year as a Horned Frog. The 6’6″ left-hander has always had an electric fastball, which sat around 91-94 miles per hour in college. Now, it sits at 95-97, while topping out at 99 mph. The Sox organization has worked with Tolle. Despite an electric fastball, the organization prioritized the development of his other pitches. Namely, his slider and changeup, both of which have made strides since his college days.
Tolle’s Meteoric Rise
Tolle started the year in high-A Greenville after being drafted in the second round of the 2024 MLB draft. Through 49 and 2/3 innings, he produced a 3.62 ERA and a 1.168 WHIP in Greenville, which got him a promotion. In AA Portland, Tolle made it five starts before getting another promotion. A 1.67 ERA and a 0.741 WHIP through 27 innings officially put him on the radar. Somehow, Tolle spent even less time in AAA Worcester. He lasted three starts, averaging a 3.60 ERA and a 0.867 WHIP in 15 innings.
Strikeouts for Days
One commonality throughout his stints in the minors has been high strikeouts. Tolle averages at least 10 strikeouts per nine innings. In Greenville, he averaged an absurd 14.3 K/9. In Portland, he averaged 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings. And while in Worcester, he averaged 10.2 K/9.
After Call Up, Red Sox Top Prospect Puts on a Show
Tolle’s first pitching matchup was against NL Cy Young contender Paul Skenes. Skenes, in a heated two-man race with currently injured Philadelphia Phillies ace Zack Wheeler, had a 2.07 ERA through 161 innings prior to the start of Friday’s game. Tolle gave up two runs, both earned, on three hits and two walks while striking out eight Pirates in 5 1/3 innings and ending up with a no decision. Skenes gave up two runs, one of which was earned on a solo homer by Roman Anthony, while the second run was unearned. Skenes gave up seven hits and walked one batter while striking out six Red Sox across six innings. Neither pitcher is currently announced for the next start at the time of publication, but both pitchers are going to be watched not only by fans of their respective teams but by fans across MLB.
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