The Boston Red Sox have had an abundance of breakout stars in the farm system over the last handful of seasons. Most notably, Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Jhostynxon Garcia have left their stamps in the minor leagues in 2023 and '24.
Boston's recent emergence as one of the best farm systems in the league has many fans wondering who could be the next Sox prospect to take the baseball world by storm. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter asked this question about each team in the major leagues.
When it came to Boston, Reuter landed on Payton Tolle, the Sox's second-round pick of the 2024 MLB Draft. The left-handed pitcher has yet to debut in the organization but should be ready to go at the start of the 2025 season.
So what about Tolle might have excited Reuter? It doesn't take much digging to see the appeal. The 22-year-old was drafted out of TCU (where he struck out 125 batters in 81 1/3 innings in 2024). Due to his college experience, don't be too shocked to see Tolle start the year in High-A. There, he'll get the chance to work on his arsenal.
Lefty pitcher Payton Tolle, Red Sox 2024 second-round pick, named as 2025 breakout prospect candidate
Career high for @RolleTolle49! He's got 13 through eight.
— TCU Baseball (@TCU_Baseball) March 23, 2024
TCU leads 1-0.#FrogballUSA | #GoFrogs pic.twitter.com/KIa1H6JO9u
Tolle is listed at 6'6", 250 lbs. He has a fastball that can get into the mid-90s with good movement. It features a lot of swing-and-miss potential.
Outside of that, there's a changeup, a slider, and a curveball in his mix. None of those pitches are elite at the moment, but that's a fantastic repertoire to work on. Could 2025 be the year Tolle harnesses the potential of one (or more) of those pitches?
The Red Sox aren't lauded for their high-end pitching prospects, but they've recently acquired some big names. However, the top guy (Luis Perales) will be out for the year. That leaves an opening for someone else to claim the top spot. Why not Tolle?
A massive lefty with a great fastball and a slider that shows potential could remind you of many former aces. The Red Sox have plenty of potential breakout stars in the farm system, but Tolle deserves his respect as one of the more intriguing and realistic options.