How Red Sox No. 2 Prospect Payton Tolle Compares To Paul Skenes

The Red Sox have an exciting prospect on their hands...

Aug 18, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes (30) reacts after pitching he fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Boston Red Sox have an electric matchup ahead of then on Friday night.

Boston will welcome the Pittsburgh Pirates to town for a three-game series with the first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. That pitch will be thrown by Boston No. 2 prospect Payton Tolle. It will be his first pitch at the big league level just over one year after joining the Boston organization.

The Red Sox are sending No. 2 prospect Payton Tolle to the mound on Thursday

May 18, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; A Boston Red Sox hat and glove rests on the railing by the dugout prior to a game against the Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The 22-year-old was drafted out of TCU in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft by Boston. The 2024 MLB Draft took place from July 14th through July 16th last year. That means it took Tolle about 13 months to go from college to the big leagues. That's pretty insane. What makes it even more impressive is the fact that he didn't make his professional debut until 2025. He made his professional debut with the High-A Greenville Drive this season and since then made stops with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, Triple-A Worcester Red Sox and now Boston.

Part of the reason why the matchup is going to be electric on Friday night is who Boston is facing as well. Second-year phenom Paul Skenes is taking the mound for the Pirates. He, and Tolle, have something in common too.

Skenes was drafted by the Pirates with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft. Pittsburgh started Skenes off in the minors shortly after his selection. Skenes kicked off the 2024 season down in the minors but made the jump to the big leagues roughly one year after his draft.

Skenes was drafted on July 9th, 2023. He made his big league debut on May 11th, 2024. Skenes took only about 10 months to make it to the majors. Tolle took about 13 months. This isn't common. Most players don't make the jump to the big leagues in the season after they were drafted. It just goes to show how special both of these hurlers are.

More MLB: Payton Tolle vs. Paul Skenes: How To Watch Red Sox-Pirates Showdown