Red Sox Rising Star Could Be Nearing First Game In Boston

The Red Sox could have another big piece on the way...

Jun 28, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A bucket of baseballs sits on the grass before a game between the Boston Red Sox and the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox made an intriguing decision this weekend.

It was reported that the Red Sox are promoting top pitching prospect, and No. 2 overall prospect overall Payton Tolle. The decision comes just about a year after making the jump from college to professional baseball. He was selected in the second round of the 2024 Major League Baseball draft by Boston.

Tolle began his professional career this season with the High-A Greenville Drive and has shot his way up through Boston's minor league system. He has made just 17 appearances this season, including 15 starts, with the Drive and Double-A Portland Sea Dogs. Tolle pitched to a 2.93 ERA and has done enough to warrant the call to Triple-A. That's not all, though. MassLive.com's Chris Cotillo shared that there's a shot that Tolle, or fellow prospects David Sandlin and Connelly Early, get the call to the big leagues down the stretch to help out in the bullpen for Boston.

"The Red Sox will promote Tolle to Triple-A Worcester for this week’s series against Buffalo, a source confirmed Monday," Cotillo said. "The plan is for Tolle to continue to start games there, but there’s a chance he could emerge as a bullpen option for the big league club down the stretch...The Red Sox, who are now in sole possession of the top American League wild card spot and enter Monday at 62-51, are open to having some of their top pitching prospects debut in relief roles down the stretch, according to chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. David Sandlin and Connelly Early were both promoted to Triple-A last week and could factor into the relief mix as well.

“I think we’re at the point where any opportunity we have to bolster the team and give us a better chance to win, we’ve got to be open to it,” Breslow said Sunday. “Whether that’s Sandlin, Early, both, neither, I think those are options. We’ll take a look at the way that tweaking their repertoires could potentially play out of the ‘pen."

That's a pretty unexpected, and big update. Tolle is 6'6'' and boasts and a blistering fastball from the left side. He even has drawn some comparisons to Red Sox workhorse Garrett Crochet. Imagine getting Crochet out of a game and getting another tall, high-octane lefty coming at you? What a scary thought.

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