Insider Explains How Red Sox’s Payton Tolle Could Make MLB Debut This Year

It’s Payton Tolle’s world and we’re just living in it. The Boston Red Sox prospect is perhaps the most intriguing player in the team’s farm system.

Tolle is the club’s No. 2 prospect according to updated rankings released this week by MLB Pipeline and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

Those accolades came days after Tolle made his Triple-A debut. And it might not be much longer before he’s taking the mound at Fenway Park, which would be unprecedented since he started the 2025 season in Single-A.

“Tolle is the organization’s top-rated pitching prospect and the Sox might want to be cautious with his development,” Masslive.com’s Sean McAdam wrote Friday.

“It might be more likely for Tolle to be utilized in a spot start for matchup purposes. If the Sox suffer a rainout and have to find a sixth starter, it’s not hard to envision Tolle being plugged in for a spot start before being returned to Worcester to finish out the season,” McAdam added.

The 22-year-old made his WooSox debut Sunday. Taking the mound for Worcester, Tolle went five innings in the 6-3 loss to the Buffalo Bisons.

The lefty struggled out of the gate, giving up all six runs in the first inning. A grand slam followed by a two-run homer put the WooSox in a hole early.

But Tolle bounced back, shutting Buffalo down the next four innings. He left the mound after throwing 72 pitches, including 53 for strikes as he whiffed three Bisons.

Tolle started this season with High-A Greenville, where he went 1-3 with a 3.62 ERA in 11 games (10 starts). He struck out 79 batters in 49 2/3 innings pitched.

The Red Sox promoted the 2024 second-round draft pick to Double-A Portland in June. He went 1-1 with a 1.67 ERA in six games (5 starts) and struck out 37 batters in 27 innings, earning a surprising bump to Triple-A Worcester earlier this month.

Should Boston need a spot starter and not want to rush Tolle, McAdam suggested Kyle Harrison could be the next man up.

“Harrison would also give the Red Sox another lefty in the rotation – currently, Garrett Crochet is the only southpaw — which could provide an interesting matchup with, say, the lefty-leaning New York Yankees next week,” McAdam wrote.