Red Sox Future Ace Steals Show During Tanner Houck's Rehab Outing

What a night to be a Portland Sea Dogs fan

TCU Horned Frogs utility Payton Tolle (49) pitches in the sixth inning of the Texas Longhorns' game against the TCU Horned Frogs at UFCU Disch-Falk Field, Friday, April 19, 2024. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Going to a Minor League Baseball game is pretty much always a good idea. But it doesn't always mean you'll be treated to a show.

At Hadlock Field in Portland, Maine on Friday night, the locals were in luck. Boston Red Sox All-Star pitcher Tanner Houck was in town on rehab, and he pitched as well as he has all year. Yet, he still wasn't the main event for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs.

After Houck exited the game, five scoreless innings under his belt, he turned the ball over to lefty Payton Tolle, the 22-year-old second-round pick from last year who is somehow only considered the 15th-best prospect in the Boston system, per MLB Pipeline's latest rankings.

Tolle pitched like he wasn't just the best pitching prospect in the Red Sox organization, but perhaps in all of baseball.

In four innings, Tolle allowed one earned run, a solo home run in the ninth. He only let up one other hit, issued no walks, and struck out eight. He looked like a prospect too dominant for his skill level, but it was only his second appearance since being promoted from High-A.

Because he finished the game and pitched more than three innings, Tolle was also credited with his first professional save.

In 58 2/3 innings this season between the two levels combined, Tolle now has a 3.38 ERA and 96 strikeouts. That's 14.7 strikeouts per nine innings, if you were curious.

Tolle is not only answering every question some evaluators may have had during the draft process, questions which caused him to drop to the second round, but he's making the case that he should join a thin Red Sox rotation, one which could see a lot of turnover within the next year, quite soon.

We're not gamblers, but the smart money is on Tolle making his major league debut in less than a year's time.