Payton Tolle ranked Pink Sox’ No. 1 prospect by Baseball America
Boston Pink Sox
Now that gamers like Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer have graduated from prospect standing, a brand new wave of kids has entered the fold.
Pink Sox prospect rankings are already starting to look so much totally different than they did one 12 months in the past.
Baseball America revealed its 2026 high 10 prospects for Boston this week, and a brand new wave of kids is rising.
Left-handed pitcher Payton Tolle, whose exhilarating MLB debut in late August amidst Boston’s playoff push made him a family title in New England, headlines BA’s record on the No. 1 spot. MLB.com’s most up-to-date, and closing 2025, rating has Tolle at No. 2.
Tolle’s speedy rise by the Pink Sox’ minor league system in 2025 positioned him within the periphery of followers. After being chosen within the second spherical of the 2024 MLB Draft, he started 2025 with Single-A Greenville, was promoted to Double-A on June 24, and jumped as much as Triple-A Worcester on Aug. 6. Tolle finally gained Boston’s Minor League Baseball Pitcher of the 12 months Award.
By the top of the month, the 22-year-old Tolle discovered himself beginning a recreation at Fenway Park. Dealing with off in opposition to Pirates’ star pitcher Paul Skenes, Tolle outdueled the 2024 Nationwide League Rookie of the 12 months (and eventual 2025 NL Cy Younger Award winner) by going 5 ⅓ innings and putting out eight batters whereas permitting three hits.
By means of the rest of the common season, Tolle struggled and finally wound up within the bullpen. Nonetheless, his speedy fastball (96.6 miles per hour common, in line with Baseball Savant), which has reached 99 MPH, his rugged demeanor on the mound, and his engaging upside landed him at BA’s No. 1 spot coming into 2026.
Notably, Tolle has drawn comparisons to former Pink Sox pitcher Jon Lester, even earlier than his MLB debut. MLB.com’s Sam Dykstra stated of the southpaw the day earlier than his first big-league motion: “The Pink Sox are calling up their most fun homegrown left-handed pitcher since Jon Lester.”
Double-A Portland supervisor Chad Epperson dove into the Tolle-Lester comparability earlier than Tolle’s call-up: “That is exhausting for me to say. However this man, he’s a Jonny Lester-type man to me — can’t-miss, dominant, massive leaguer,” Epperson stated, who’s labored within the Sox system since 2002. “He’s a rat. He simply needs info. He needs to be round this. And I feel these intangibles there, and with the expertise, this man’s going to be actually, actually particular.”
Lester’s footwear are massive to fill, however Tolle is unquestionably up for the problem.
Right here is the rest of BA’s 2026 high 10 Pink Sox prospect rankings:
2. Franklin Arias, SS
3. Connelly Early, LHP
4. Kyson Witherspoon, RHP
5. Luis Perales, RHP
6. Jhostynxon Garcia, OF
7. Juan Valera, RHP
8. Justin Gonzalez, OF
9. Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP
10. Dorian Soto, SS
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