The Boston Red Sox promoted three prospects on Sunday. According to Josh Ball of Beyond the Monster, pitching prospects Payton Tolle and Eduardo Rivera, and catcher Brooks Brannon, have been promoted from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland.
Rivera and Tolle have felt due for weeks. However, logjams tend to create issues when trying to figure out space for pitchers. The Portland Sea Dogs' roster specifically is overloaded with talented arms. It appears some spaces may have opened up with an injury to Yordanny Monegro and a potential injury to Blake Wehunt.
Tolle pitched on June 22, tossing six innings of one-run ball and striking out nine batters. The left-handed pitcher has a 3.62 ERA, .234 BAA, and 1.17 WHIP in 11 appearances (10 starts). He has 79 strikeouts compared to 14 walks in 49 2/3 innings.
Tolle was a second-round pick in 2024, so it's not shocking that he's moving quickly up the ranks. However, the 22-year-old's fastball, which is already touching the high 90s, is a fantastic development that wasn't expected to happen so quickly.
Red Sox promote prospects Payton Tolle, Eduardo Rivera and Brooks Brannon to Double-A Portland
20 swings & misses for Payton Tolle in his last outing 😮💨
— Red Sox Player Development (@RedSoxPlayerDev) June 14, 2025
His final line: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 8 K pic.twitter.com/xx5v0fjdkt
Speaking of unexpected developments, Rivera has been a revelation. The left-handed pitcher holds a 1.61 ERA, .138 BAA, and 0.83 WHIP in 10 appearances (six starts). He has 68 strikeouts compared to 16 walks in 44 2/3 innings.
The Red Sox organization picked Rivera up as a minor league free agent after the Athletics released him during the 2024 season. The 22-year-old has dominated all year and looks like a massive win for the front office and for the pitching development team.
Brannon struggled to start the year, slashing .186/.244/.271 entering May 22. He has torn up High-A pitching since then, going 37-for-93 (.398) with six doubles, one triple, and three home runs.
The right-handed hitting catcher holds a .270/.313/.398 slash line with eight doubles, two triples, and five home runs this season. He's driven in 31 runs, scored 32 more, and stolen three bases.
Brannon turned 21 in May and gives Boston legitimate power potential from the catcher position. Portland could use some added offense (especially at catcher), and Brannon should slot in perfectly.
Promotion season is truly never over. It will be exciting to see how each player handles the new level. Double-A should be a different type of challenge for all three prospects.