Payton Tolle, the Red Sox' top pitching prospect, continues rapid ascent with promotion to Triple A Worcester

Boston Globe

2 days ago

Drafted in the second round last year, Tolle opened the season with High A Greenville. Baseball America ranks him as the No. 49 prospect in the game.
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'The strides he's been able to make from a velocity standpoint, from learning different pitches, new pitches — it's just been crazy,' said
Justin Willard
, the Red Sox' director of pitching. 'Development is just purely learning. How quickly are they able to learn? It's been really cool to see how quickly he's been able to pick things up, add things to his arsenal, and really utilize them in-game right away.'
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In addition to adding several ticks to his fastball and topping out at 98 miles per hour, Tolle has been working on a cutter that could replace his slider, improved his changeup, and is experimenting with a curveball, Willard said.
What has impressed Willard most is that adaptability, taking side-session projects into actual games.
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'It's one thing to figure it out in practice, when the tension is lower,' Willard said. 'But can I do this when there's a batter in the box and I'm ripping and roaring, I'm competing? Can we do this? Can I learn this skill?'
Tolle is the first Red Sox pitcher to reach Triple A or higher in his first complete season after being drafted since
Craig Hansen
(who went almost straight to the majors after going in the first round in 2005) and the first starting pitcher to do so since
Abe Alvarez
(a second-rounder in 2003 who made a one-start cameo in the majors in 2004).
And then there is
Garrett Crochet
, who with the White Sox in 2020 went from the draft (University of Tennessee) to the pandemic-era alternate site to the majors in about three months.
'There are some guys who are just ready faster than others,' Crochet said. 'When you've got a power fastball, you can dominate the lower levels, from what I've heard.
'I've heard tremendous things about [Tolle]. I've heard he's built like an ox. Hopefully he'll be up here to help us this year, next year, whenever it is. From what I've heard, he's going to be a big boost to the staff.'
Tolle is Crochet-like not only in build — 6-feet, 6-inches and 260 pounds for the ace, 6-6 and 250 for the prospect — but in demeanor.
'Obviously, a big human being, but also a big personality, especially when he gets comfortable,' Willard said. 'He's very much a leader and he's going to attract other people to him. He actually reminds me of someone like Crochet, where they can goof around but when the lights turn on, that's the guy I want. That's the bulldog.'
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Crochet Day
Crochet is good to go for his start against the Royals on Tuesday, after
Will the extra downtime benefit him?
'We're about to see,' manager
Alex Cora
said. 'Maybe tomorrow his mechanics are off and we're going to be like, oh shoot, that didn't work. But I think as far as workload … he's in a good place physically.'
Crochet has thrown 141⅓ innings. Last year, he totaled 146.
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Tim Healey can be reached at