Red Sox promote top pitching prospect to Double-A after 79 Ks in 49.2 IP in pro debut
Left-hander Payton Tolle has been promoted to Double-A and will join the Sea Dogs for their series in Binghamton this week, a source confirmed Monday. Tolle was Boston's second-round pick last season (50th overall). He was recently ranked as the No. 84 prospect in the game, according to Baseball America's latest rankings, and is considered by many to be the best pitching prospects in Boston's system. He'll join fellow standouts Connelly Early and David Sandlin in the Double-A rotation.
Tolle, 22, dominated at High-A Greenville, posting a 3.62 ERA and striking out 79 batters in 49 ⅔ innings over 11 games (10 starts) in his first taste of pro action. The TCU alum capped off his time with the Drive by allowing one run on five hits while striking out nine batters Sunday against Greensboro. He has struck out at least eight batters in four of his last five starts.
Tolle was ranked as the No. 8 prospect in Boston's system by MassLive before the season. Updated rankings from SoxProspects.com have him fifth, with the top two spots occupied by Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer, who are in the majors.
Tolle isn't the only prospect joining Portland. Left-hander Eduardo Rivera (35th on SoxProspects' List) and catcher/first baseman Brooks Brannon (No. 42) were also promoted from High-A, as Beyond the Monster's Josh Ball first reported. Also, lefty Shea Sprague, who has made 10 of 11 appearances this year at Single-A Salem, will join High-A Greenville.
More Red Sox coverage
One Red Sox player in top two after latest MLB All-Star Game voting update
David Ortiz rips Rafael Devers — 'You disrespected yourself'
Red Sox trade addition struggles in rehab outing; another will make WooSox debut Thursday
Red Sox vent frustration over umpiring crew, resulting in two ejections
Red Sox keep beating themselves, so what could have been a sweep turns into a series loss| Sean McAdam
Read the original article on MassLive.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
4 minutes ago
- CBS News
Jhoan Duran brings the heat — and sets Citizens Bank Park record for Phillies pitcher
Jhoan Duran initially couldn't remember the fastest pitch he's thrown in the major leagues. It wasn't close to what he touched at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday night. "It's 104.8," Duran said after pondering. "Something like that." Duran was lights out in earning his second save in three days for the Phillies, showcasing why the franchise parted ways with two top-six prospects to acquire him. He was just as impressive in his second appearance with the Phillies as he was in his first, throwing the fastest pitch recorded by a Phillies player at Citizens Bank Park. His fastball reached 103.3 mph on the fifth pitch of a six-pitch at-bat to Tigers left fielder Riley Greene. The next pitch resulted in a swing-and-a-miss by Greene, coughing on a 102.5 mph fastball from Duran. The new Phillies' closer threw six fastballs in Sunday's 2-0 victory, five of which went over 102 mph. If Duran looked effortless in throwing his fastball, there's a reason behind it. "It feels normal for me," Duran said, "Because I don't think about it too much on how fast I try [to throw]. I put in my mentality more: if I can control the fastball and the stuff." J.T. Realmuto couldn't remember off the top of his head if 103.3 mph was the fastest pitch he ever caught. He might have at one point, from another hard-throwing reliever that's rejoining the Phillies' bullpen later this month. "I don't know. I think [Jose Alvarado] is probably the hardest thrower I've caught," Realmuto said with a smile. "I don't think he's touched that or not. If not, then no." Duran's velocity on his fastball and splinker have wowed the Phillies since he arrived in town Friday. Realmuto sees the pitches from a different vantage point. "I don't know if people talk about the movement or not," Realmuto said. "As high as the velocity is, it's still moving a lot. His four-seam carries one and runs another, and his splinker is different every pitch. There's always movement involved in that." When Duran enters the game, everyone in the ballpark stops what they're doing. For fans, the phones are coming out for the custom remix of "El Incomprendido" by Farruko and "Hot" by Pitbull and Daddy Yankee. For the Phillies, they are seeing the composed side of Duran as he trots to the mound to finish off a save. "I kind of sat there on the rail, and I wanted to see the entrance, see everything, see the excitement," Kyle Schwarber said. "I faced him a few times before, and it wasn't a comfy at-bat by any means. I think it's pretty impressive he's facing a team that he's seen a lot before, and he just went in there, attacked the zone and is trying to make them beat him." "The biggest thing is just the composure. It's an electric atmosphere, and it can really amp you up, but every time he's out there, he's stone-faced. He just wants to get his job done." If the Phillies were in this situation last week, a two-run lead heading into the ninth with Cristopher Sanchez at 84 pitches, manager Rob Thomson wouldn't hesitate to keep Sanchez in the game and have him start the inning. With Duran closing, the Phillies are automatically going to him if he's available. They saw firsthand how dominant Duran was once he took the mound. As for Duran? He's just enjoying the moment, no matter how easily he's throwing that fastball. "The last time I played here, it was on the other side," Duran said. "Now that I'm on this side? It's more fun."
New York Times
4 minutes ago
- New York Times
‘Game, Set, Matchmaker'? The U.S. Open Gets Into the Dating Game.
Last week, the United States Tennis Association made an unexpected announcement. The U.S. Open, one of the sport's four Grand Slam tournaments, will be inserting itself in the saturated world of reality show dating. The announcement raised a few eyebrows and set off widespread online chatter that is best encapsulated on Instagram by the professional tennis player and U.S. Open contender, Donna Vekic, who said: 'Wait what?' According to a statement from the U.S.T.A., the tournament will host its own reality series, set at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. The eight-episode series, called 'Game, Set, Matchmaker,' will be filmed the week before the event begins in late August. It will air on YouTube during the tournament. The bachelorette at the center of the series is Ilana Sedaka, a 'tennis-savvy' 24-year-old former figure skating champion and Pilates teacher, who was born and raised in Long Island and now lives in Miami. She will be matched with seven men, and will go on dates which will include playing games and exploring the tennis center. A contestant will be sent home at the end of each episode. 'My hope is to bring a little joy, a little chaos, and a whole lot of realness to the court,' Ms. Sedaka said in a news release. The U.S.T.A. did not divulge how Ms. Sedaka was chosen or share any details on the male contestants. The decision to film a dating show — and the sponsorships it drew from Dobel Tequila and Moët & Chandon — illustrates that, at the end of the day, 'sports is a business,' said Marsha-Gaye Knight, an assistant professor at the Preston Robert Tisch Institute for Global Sport at New York University. Ms. Knight added that 'sport and culture are very intertwined,' whether that's tennis, basketball or football. 'Let's be honest, a lot of people watch tennis because Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are there,' she said. The basketball star Stephen Curry, the actress Tina Fey and Vogue's global editorial director, Anna Wintour, all attended the U.S. Open last year. The other Grand Slams, which are held in London, Paris and Melbourne, Australia, consistently draw their own star-studded audiences too. And celebrity fashion choices at the games become social media catnip for their fans, Ms. Knight said. At a moment when shows like the 'Love Island' franchises, 'The Bachelor' and 'Love Is Blind' seem to have overtaken cultural conversation, putting on a dating show is an attempt by the U.S.T.A. to bolster the sport's cultural cachet beyond tennis purists. 'We are trying to attract an entirely new audience, reaching fans at the intersection of tennis, pop culture and entertainment,' a spokesman for the association said in an emailed statement. The U.S.T.A. has also been trying to boost participation in tennis. According to research conducted by the association, 1 in 12 Americans — about 26 million people — played tennis in 2024, which is the highest it has been in five years. That makes it among the most popular sports in the United States; recent research found that 28 million Americans play basketball and just over 15 million play baseball. Despite that level of participation, professional tennis still draws a far smaller viewing audience than football and basketball in the United States, according to a recent market research report, and Gen Z, Ms. Knight added, simply isn't watching sports on television as much as previous generations. 'The U.S. Open realizes that for them to appeal to new audiences and tap into new sectors, they have to go where audiences are,' she said. 'Audiences are no longer chasing sports, we have to now chase our audiences.' Not all tennis fans, however, were excited by news of the dating show, with some noting that it disrespects the game and turns the U.S. Open into a gimmicky tournament. The overarching reaction, though, was confusion. Some on social media pointed out that the show seemed to nod at themes from 'Challengers,' the critically acclaimed 2024 film which stared Zendaya, Mike Faist and Josh O'Connor as professional tennis players entangled in a steamy love triangle, which only added a layer of intrigue. 'I don't get this,' Savannah Guthrie, a host of NBC's 'Today,' said in a Friday morning broadcast, before offering to host the series. 'I don't understand. Do you have to be into tennis?'
New York Times
4 minutes ago
- New York Times
Speedway Classic, despite logistical issues, broke attendance mark that stood since '54
The Speedway Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds sold more than 85,000 tickets, a record for an MLB regular-season game, though the event was marred by logistical challenges. The official number of tickets sold for the game, which was scheduled for Saturday and completed Sunday after an inclement weather postponement, was 91,032. The previous milestone for most regular-season game tickets sold was 84,587 set on Sept. 12, 1954, in a contest between Cleveland and the New York Yankees. Advertisement A preseason game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on March 29, 2008, holds the record for MLB single-game attendance with 115,300 tickets sold. Fans at Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee on Saturday encountered logistical issues at the venue. Many concession stands ran out of food during the first rain delay, which lasted two hours and 17 minutes. A Reds fan who spoke to The Athletic on Saturday night said it was 'the worst logistical experience,' and, 'They ran out of food and beer, and the fan zone was underwhelming.' Many took to Twitter to decry the circumstances, including longtime trial lawyer Lester Tate, who once served as president of the State Bar of Georgia. 'The Bristol game was the MLB version of Fyre Fest,' he wrote. Fox Sports' Kevin Burkhardt also commented on the lack of food, saying on air, 'We're out of food, so it's really panic time,' according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The venue's communications department announced early Sunday that fans could bring in outside food and non-alcoholic beverages after not being allowed to do so on Saturday. The Braves won, 4-2. Stopped at a gas station near Bristol Motor Speedway and inside there is a line of Braves and Reds fans buying food and drinks to bring in with them to watch the #SpeedwayClassic25 .Since they ran out of concessions last night, fans are allowed to bring in food today. — Alison Mastrangelo (@AlisonWSB) August 3, 2025 (Photo of Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
