The Boston Red Sox will reportedly turn to one of their fastest-rising prospects on Friday night at Fenway Park. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Left-hander Payton Tolle will make his Major League Baseball debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates, squaring off with Paul Skenes, one of the most dominant pitchers in the game.
Tolle, drafted 50th overall in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft, has quickly ascended through Boston’s system in his first professional season. Signed for a $2 million bonus, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound pitcher entered 2025 with no professional experience, but has forced his way onto the big-league roster after an impressive rise across three minor-league levels.
Beginning the year at High-A Greenville, Tolle earned promotions to Double-A Portland in June and then Triple-A Worcester in early August. Across all three levels, the 22-year-old has logged 91.2 innings with a 3.04 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP, striking out hitters at a 36.5 percent rate.
In Triple-A alone, he posted a 3.60 ERA with 17 strikeouts and just two walks in three starts. His most recent outing was a five-inning, one-run performance with nine strikeouts, though he has yet to throw more than 72 pitches in a game as the Red Sox carefully monitor his workload.
The debut comes with Boston needing rotation help. Richard Fitts sits out with right arm neuritis, and the Red Sox pushed back Dustin May’s start to Saturday, leaving a gap in Friday’s rotation. The Red Sox will likely clear a 40-man roster spot for Tolle by transferring Marcelo Mayer to the 60-day injured list following wrist surgery.
Tolle’s rise is not only quick but historic. At Texas Christian University in 2024, he was named the Big 12 Pitcher of the Year and became the only player in conference history to win both Pitcher of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in the same season.
He finished his college career with a 7-4 record, 3.21 ERA, and 125 strikeouts, tying for 11th in the nation, before the Red Sox committed to developing him solely as a pitcher.
On the mound, Tolle relies heavily on a fastball that averages 90–92 mph and tops at 96, complemented by a slider, changeup, cutter, and sweeping curveball. His fastball, graded 55 on MLB.com’s 20–80 scale, is one of the best among minor-league arms, aided by his size and ability to stride downhill toward hitters.
Friday’s matchup offers both an opportunity and a challenge. Even though the Pirates own the lowest OPS in baseball (.657) and rank last in runs per game, Tolle will face Skenes, renowned as one of MLB’s premier pitchers. The Red Sox, meanwhile, enter the series on a 7-1 road trip and hold the top AL Wild Card spot, sitting 3.5 games back of the Blue Jays in the AL East.
