- Full name Payton John Tolle
- Born 11/01/2002 in Stillwater, OK
- Profile Ht.: 6'6" / Wt.: 250 / Bats: L / Throws: L
- School Wichita State
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Drafted in the 2nd round (50th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2024.
View Draft Report
School: TCU
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.7
BA Grade: 45/High
Tools: Fastball: 55. Slider: 50. Curveball: 40. Changeup: 45. Control: 45.
Tolle was a standout two-way player for Wichita State for two seasons, and in 2023 he made the Baseball America All-America second team after slashing .311/.361/.538 with 13 home runs and posting a 4.62 ERA in 15 starts with a career-high 26.9% strikeout rate and impressive 5.3% walk rate. He transferred to Texas Christian for the 2024 season and focused more on pitching. He had a career year with a 3.21 ERA over 81.1 innings and 14 starts with a 36.4% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk rate. Tolle is a hulking lefthander with a 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame who throws with a funky and deceptive low three-quarters arm slot. He sits 90-92 mph with his fastball and will touch 95-96, but he gets excellent extension with the heater that causes the pitch to play up and miss more bats than expected. He’s a fastball-dominant pitcher who relied on his heater 75% of the time this spring and has lighter secondaries, including an 80-85 mph short-breaking slider and rarely used slower curveball and mid-80s changeup. Tolle’s immense physicality and sneaky fastball are his calling cards, but he’ll need to improve his command and secondaries to profile as a starter once he reaches pro ball. He fits as a top-four rounds talent.
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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BA Grade: 45/High
Track Record: Tolle was a standout two-way player for Wichita State for two seasons, and in 2023 he made the Baseball America All-America second team after slashing .311/.361/.538 with 13 home runs and posting a 4.62 ERA in 15 starts with a career-high 26.9% strikeout rate and impressive 5.3% walk rate. He transferred to Texas Christian for the 2024 season and focused more on pitching.
Scouting Report: Tolle had a career year with a 3.21 ERA over 81.1 innings and 14 starts with a 36.4% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk rate. Tolle is a hulking lefthander with a 6-foot-6, 250-pound frame who throws with a funky and deceptive low three-quarters arm slot. He sits 90-92 mph with his fastball and will touch 95-96, but he gets excellent extension with the heater that causes the pitch to play up and miss more bats than expected. He’s a fastball-dominant pitcher who relied on his heater 75% of the time this spring and has lighter secondaries, including an 80-85 mph short-breaking slider and rarely used slower curveball and mid-80s changeup.
The Future: Tolle’s immense physicality and sneaky fastball are his calling cards, but he’ll need to improve his command and secondaries to profile as a starter once he reaches pro ball.
Scouting Grades:Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Curveball: 40 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 45.
Draft Prospects
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School: TCU Committed: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.7
Tolle was a standout two-way player for Wichita State for two seasons, and in 2023 he made Baseball America’s All-America second team after slashing .311/.361/.538 with 13 home runs and posting a 4.62 ERA in 15 starts with a career-high 26.9% strikeout rate and impressive 5.3% walk rate. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound lefthander averaged 90 mph from the left side, but has been up to 96 and has a solid, low-80s slider as well. He’ll play both ways at TCU in 2024.
