The Red Sox are expected to promote top pitching prospect Payton Tolle to make his big league debut Friday night at Fenway Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Paul Skenes, league sources told The Athletic on Thursday.
Tolle, a left-hander, was the team’s second-round pick out of Texas Christian University last year, and has quickly risen through the system. Across three levels, Tolle has a 3.04 ERA in 20 games, 18 starts, with a 36.5 percent strikeout rate thanks to an elite fastball.
He opened the season in High A, was promoted to Double A in late June and debuted in Triple A just three weeks ago.
In three Triple A starts, Tolle has a 3.60 ERA with 17 strikeouts and two walks. His first start was skewed by a first-inning grand slam. In 14 subsequent innings, he’s allowed one run.
“Obviously, making the jump all the way to Triple A and still dominating hitters is really impressive,” Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey said earlier this week. “So, we know that it’s elite extension and an elite four-seam (fastball), and again, just try to find something else to pair with it. But I think he can come up and dominate hitters with that fastball. We’ll see where and when he arrives.”
As Boston’s search for a fifth starter continues, Tolle will be thrust into a pennant race. The Red Sox are coming off a 7-1 road trip, and will host Pittsburgh and the Cleveland Guardians over the next six games. Boston currently holds the top wild card spot, and sits 3 1/2 games back from the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East.
(Photo: Ashley Green / USA Today via Imagn Images)
Aug 29, 2025
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