Boston Red Sox 6-foot-6, 270-pound prospect strikes out 12 of 18 batters

Red Sox left-handed prospect Payton Tolle had the best start of his professional career Sunday.

The 22 year-old struck out 12 of the 18 batters he faced in High-A Greenville’s 16-0 win over Asheville.

He allowed just three hits (two singles, one double) and no walks over five innings.

Ian Cundall, the director of scouting for SoxProspects.com, had him topping out at 98 mph — and even hitting 97 mph in the fifth inning.

Tolle earned his professional win. He gave up six runs while recording just five outs in his first pro start April 8 against this same Asheville team. Since then, he has allowed just one run, seven hits and two walks while striking out 26 in 13 innings across three starts.

Boston selected Tolle 50th overall in the 2024 Draft and signed him to a $2 million bonus, a tick higher than the $1.846 million slot value.

He also throws a changeup, slider and sweeper. He learned the sweeper while working out at the JetBlue Park complex after Boston drafted him last year.

His above-average extension makes his fastball look even harder to batters.

“I think I’m throwing it close to a foot further than the average,” Tolle said this past offseason. “So I think that helps a lot. So I like throwing it the top of the zone, kind of a lower slot, lower release point. It kind of makes it a difficult place for hitters to pick up I feel like. I like to get the swing and misses on fastballs up. And the other thing I like to do is having that long extension to be able to get on hitters. I feel like going inside on guys can be effective for me as well.”

Other Red Sox prospect notes from Sunday:

~ Franklin Arias, who Baseball America ranks No. 72 on its Top 100 list, finished off his first week at High A by reaching base four times in Greenville’s win. The 19-year-old shortstop went 2-for-4 with a homer, two walks, two RBIs and one strikeout. Boston promoted him to Greenville from Low-A Salem last Monday. He went hitless in his first three games but had five hits, including two homers, in his past three games.

~ Zach Ehrhard, a 22-year-old outfielder who Boston selected in the fourth round in 2024, went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and two runs in Greenville’s win. He’s 12-for-27 in his past seven games. His batting average has increased from .240 to .297 during that stretch.

~ Yoeilin Cespedes, who Baseball America ranks Boston’s No. 6 prospect, went 2-for-4 with two doubles, an RBI, one run, one walk and one strikeout in Low-A Salem’s 9-6 win over Fredericksburg. The 19-year-old shortstop has a .233/.272/.384/.656 line in 18 games.

~ Mikey Romero, Boston’s 2022 first round pick, went 3-for-7 with a homer, one double, one walk, three RBIs, two runs, two strikeouts and one steal in Double-A Portland’s doubleheader sweep over New Hampshire. The 21-year-old is batting .267 with a .370 on-base percentage, .535 slugging percentage, .905 OPS, five homers, four doubles, two triples, 12 RBIs, 20 runs, 13 walks and 28 strikeouts in 23 games (101 plate appearances).

~ Roman Anthony had three and Marcelo Mayer had two in Triple-A Worcester‘s 7-3 loss to Toledo. The 20-year-old Anthony has a .305/.419/.514/.933 line with five homers, five doubles, one triple, 17 RBIs, 22 runs, 22 walks and 26 strikeouts in 29 games (129 plate appearances). The 22-year-old Mayer has a .268/.323/.491/.814 line with seven homers, four doubles, 34 RBIs, 18 runs, nine walks and 26 strikeouts in 28 games (124 plate appearances).

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