Red Sox Might Be Sitting on Next Payton Tolle Already

If you need a bit of positive news around the Boston Red Sox right now, look no further than No. 9 prospect Anthony Eyanson down in High-A Greenville.

Eyanson was a third-round pick by Boston in the 2025 Major League Baseball Draft but didn't make his professional debut until 2026. Frankly, the start to his professional career couldn't be much better. He has been excellent and the club should already be thinking about a timeline to get him up to Double-A Portland.

The 21-year-old righty has made four starts for Greenville so far this season and has a minuscule 0.54 ERA to go along with a 27-to-0 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 16 2/3 innings pitched.

Anthony Eyanson's strikeout-to-walk ratio is ... INFINITE?!

The @RedSox third-rounder continued his downright dominant start to his career with another scoreless outing for the @GreenvilleDrive: https://t.co/oCIgKgXdo5 pic.twitter.com/LF0BHkRwoo
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) April 26, 2026

The Red Sox Hurler Is Thriving

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Anthony Eyanson — Tigers starting pitcher Anthony Eyanson 24, The LSU Tigers take on Little Rock Trojans in game 1 of the 2025 NCAA Div 1 Regional Baseball Championship at Alex Box Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA. Friday, May 30, 2025. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 0.54 ERA is obviously great. But a 27-to-0 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 16 2/3 innings pitched? That's unheard of. He's just 21 years old and is beginning his professional journey through the Red Sox's farm system, but there has seemingly been no learning curve. He has taken the mound and has been sharp every time. When you have command like that, you can move up a farm system very quickly.

The closest equivalent to think about is Payton Tolle. He was a second-round pick in 2024 and didn't make his professional debut until 2025. Tolle began his professional career with High-A Greenville as well. Over the course of the 2025 season, Tolle was excellent and was promoted from High-A, to Double-A, to Triple-A and eventually to the big leagues because he was that good. Eyanson has been even better to kick off his professional career.

In four starts, Eyanson has allowed just one earned run, struck out 27 batters and walked zero in 16 2/3 innings pitched. In Tolle's first four starts with Greenville, he allowed seven earned runs, struck out 29 batters and walked five batters in 14 2/3 innings pitched. Now, of course, Tolle turned it on from there and ascended through the club's farm system and now is Boston's No. 1 prospect. It was a meteoric rise and a year later, Eyanson is off to a hotter start.

If you're a Red Sox fan, you should know Eyanson's name right now. And with all of the negatives in the majors for Boston, you should be keeping a close eye on these top prospects down in the minors. Soon enough, they will help. If Eyanson can keep up this early-season trend, maybe he could be the next guy to shoot up through the system.

Add us as a preferred source on Google