Payton Tolle Stats & Scouting Report

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
Drafted in the 2nd round (50th overall) by the Boston Red Sox in 2024 (signed for $2,000,000).

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

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Very High.

Track Record: Tolle spent two years as a two-way player at Wichita State before transferring as a junior to Texas Christian, where he focused mostly on pitching. The decision paid off with a 3.21 ERA and 37% strikeout rate. The Red Sox drafted him No. 50 overall in 2024, their highest selection of a pitcher since 2017, and signed him to a slightly over-slot $2 million bonus. He didn’t play after signing, spending his first pro summer training at the team’s development complex.

Scouting Report: The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Tolle is a mountain on the mound who uses his size to create a distinctive lefthanded look. He generates enormous extension, releasing the ball more than 7 feet in front of the rubber, while his low three-quarters arm slot seems like a cannon fired from the middle of a fortress wall. His low release height of 5.5 feet combined with excellent ride on his 91 mph four-seamer, which touched 96, created fits for college hitters. Tolle’s slider has average or better potential if he can throw it harder. His changeup was below-average but flashed potential. He also has a cutter and curveball. Though he’s physically maxed out, Tolle has remaining developmental runway as he focuses on pitching.

The Future: If everything clicks, Tolle could be a midrotation starter. Otherwise, he could be a swing-and-miss reliever. He should open 2025 in High-A Greenville’s rotation and could reach Double-A midway through the season. Tolle could emerge as a big league option by the middle of 2026.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50.

Draft Prospects

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.