Red Sox Exec Highlights ‘Unique Traits’ Of Highly Drafted Pitcher
Red Sox fans have plenty to be excited about when it comes to Braden Montgomery, but the switch-hitting outfielder wasn’t the only talented prospect Boston drafted Sunday night.
Craig Breslow and company used their second-round pick (50th overall) on left-handed pitcher Payton Tolle. The TCU product has an intimidating presence on the mound with his 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame, and that’s amplified by a fastball that can light up the radar gun.
Tolle boasts more than good size and a strong arm, though. Red Sox director of amateur scouting Devin Pearson gave a rundown of the 22-year-old’s skillset after the pick was made.
“The unique traits for him are just the far above-average extension, his strikes, his ability to spin the slider,” Pearson told reporters, per MassLive. “He does a lot of things that we can work with and get to his optimal shapes. Mainly it’s extension and how his fastball moves.”
Tolle features a cutter and changeup in his arsenal in addition to the aforementioned fastball and slider. That’s quite a repertoire for a prospect who was a two-way player in the college ranks. But Tolle will exclusively be on the mound in the Red Sox system, where the club has an opportunity to develop him into a legitimate big league strikeout machine.
Boston likely will add more arms to the farm on Day 2 of the draft between Rounds 3 and 10. Monday’s action kicks off at 2 p.m. ET, and NESN.com will keep you updated on all of the Red Sox’s picks.