Winners out eight out of their past nine games, the Boston Red Sox still hold the first AL Wild Card spot. However, they are also now only three and a half games out of first place of the AL East. If the Red Sox hope to catch the Toronto Blue Jays, a weekend sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates at Fenway Park would certainly help. The Pirates will send ace Paul Skenes to the mound in the series opener Friday, and Boston will counter with rookie Payton Tolle, who will make his MLB debut after being promoted earlier in the day. ESPN's Buster Olney dropped an intriguing comp for Tolle from one evaluator on X (formerly Twitter).
“Evaluator says Payton Tolle, the prospect called up to the big leagues by the Red Sox, reminds him of David Wells,” reported Olney on Friday. “Very good command.”
If Tolle can turn out anything like Wells, then the 6-foot-6 left hander will have had a very good career indeed. Wells pitched for nine teams over a 21-year career, including two years for Boston from 2005 to 2006. Also known as “Boomer,” Wells was an imposing, big left-hander who was a three-time All-Star. If Tolle continues to show a lot of the characteristics that have gotten him to the big leagues, then Wells might be a perfect comparison.
Red Sox hope Payton Tolle can have impact like David Wells
Of course, the Red Sox likely hope that if Tolle pitches for 21 seasons like Wells, he'll be with Boston for most, if not all, of that time frame. The left-hander has had a meteoric rise through the minors after starting this season at High-A. It could be a bit of a bold move for the Red Sox brass to call up a starter with just three appearances in Triple-A. However, Tolle seems to be worth the risk. If he can finish this season strong with the big-league club, then who knows what can happen.
However, a matchup with Skenes on Friday night awaits. Any rookie, even one as highly regarded as Tolle, would find that to be an arduous matchup, to say the least. Nevertheless, if the Red Sox can beat Skenes on Friday night, then the rest of the series will look easier in comparison. Will Tolle be able to outduel what could be the best pitcher in the game today?
