MLB Insider Calls Payton Tolle 'Star In The Making' With 'Upside To Be A Top-10 Pitcher' – NESN

Victor Barbosa
Apr 23, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle (70) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Victor Barbosa is a graduate of Springfield College, where he earned a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. He has covered local and professional sports news for FanSided, Heavy, Syracuse.com, WEEI and Yardbarker, among other publications.
Boston Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle had a stellar season debut last week against the New York Yankees, allowing one run on three hits with one walk and 11 strikeouts in a no-decision.
Tolle, who is scheduled to make his second start of the season on Tuesday night vs. the Toronto Blue Jays, joins fellow lefties Connelly Early, Garrett Crochet and Ranger Suarez in the starting rotation, as well as right-hander Brayan Bello.
Sonny Gray recently landed on the injured list with a hamstring ailment.
With Crochet and Suarez showing inconsistency through the early part of the season and Bello largely struggling, the pair of rookie southpaws might be the most reliable starters at the moment.
MLB senior writer Eno Sarris, who covers baseball analytics for The Athletic had high praise for Tolle in an article posted on Monday morning.
“He showed some of the same aspects that were so exciting in his MLB debut late last year, with a few wrinkles that bode well for the future,” Sarris said of Tolle’s season debut against the Yankees. “There’s still some risk in how much the cutter and four-seamer were scattered. If he gets pigeonholed to the sinker and curveball in certain counts, batters will have an easier time. But a Tolle with even average command will be an absolute beast, with the upside to be a top-10 pitcher in this league. Even a conservative projection for the rest of the season includes a sub-four ERA and a strong strikeout rate. A star in the making.”
Tolle was a contender for a spot in Boston’s season-opening starting rotation before being sent down to Triple-A Worcester in March.
If Tolle’s performance vs. New York is an indicator of what’s to come this year, the 23-year-old could be in the majors to stay.
More MLB: Garrett Crochet Believes Red Sox Are Close To ‘Putting It Together’
Victor Barbosa is a graduate of Springfield College, where he earned a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. He has covered local and professional sports news for FanSided, Heavy, Syracuse.com, WEEI and Yardbarker, among other publications.

source