Red Sox's Payton Tolle Gets Ultimate Stamp of Approval From Willson Contreras

The Boston Red Sox have a star on their hands in young flamethrower Payton Tolle.

Jun 17, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Payton Tolle (70) throws in the first inning against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Jaiden Tripi-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Boston Red Sox have looked like a completely different team over the last few weeks, to say the least.

After dropping two out of three games against the Colorado Rockies, it seemed like the Red Sox reached a new rock bottom. Boston lost two of the contests late, including a blown save from Aroldis Chapman, and it seemed like things would get worse with a four-game series afterward against the New York Yankees. The opposite has happened, though. The Red Sox dropped to 14 games below .500, but turned around and swept the Yankees and have been flying since.

Boston has won nine out of its last 11 games, including four in a row, and now has itself firmly back in the American League Wild Card mix. The club's pitching has been the biggest reason why, although guys have stepped up all across the roster. When it comes to the rotation, even as injuries have piled up, Boston has found a way forward. On Tuesday, that was thanks to young flamethrower Payton Tolle.

Tolle got the ball to kick off a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox and was excellent. He was coming off his worst start of the season on July 1 in which he allowed six runs in three innings. That isn't the guy Boston got on Tuesday. Tolle dominated the White Sox from the jump and pitched six shutout innings and allowed just two base hits. He struck out six batters in the process as well.

Payton Tolle's 2Ks in the 6th. pic.twitter.com/bRYZNHEP3a

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) July 8, 2026

Boston Has A Star

Jun 21, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Payton Tolle (70) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tolle was electric and he caught the attention of his teammate, Willson Contreras.

"Tolle has big talent. He's a future ace, for sure,” Contreras said, as transcribed by MLB.com's Ian Browne. “That's what I see for him. What I like the most is how he controls himself on the mound and controls his pace. For me, the sky's the limit with that guy.”

That's some big praise from a veteran who has been around the block and has played with some very good pitchers throughout his career. Plus, let's not forget that Contreras was an All-Star catcher before transitioning to first base. He knows what he's talking about.

Contreras has played with guys like Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta, Kyle Hendricks, John Lackey, Adam Wainwright, Yu Darvish, and of course, Sonny Gray throughout his big league career. If he views Tolle as an ace, that's a very good indication for his future.

It doesn't hurt that Tolle made a bit of team history on Tuesday as well. He became the first member of the organization since Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley to make at least four starts of six-plus innings and zero earned runs in a single season prior to turning 24, per former Red Sox director of Baseball communications and media relations JP Long.

"Payton Tolle is the first Red Sox pitcher since Dennis Eckersley (1978) to make at least 4 starts of 6.0+ innings and 0 ER in a single season prior to turning 24," Long wrote. "He is MLB’s only pitcher under 24 to make at least 4 such starts this season."

Tolle didn't make the big league roster out of camp, but fortunately he is with the team now.