Where Does Payton Tolle Rank On ESPN’s List Of Top 100 MLB Prospects?

The Boston Red Sox have had a bit of an odd offseason to this point. While the team has added several players over the past few months, it’s clear the team is banking on getting production from its crop of young prospects. At the top of that group currently is left-handed starting pitcher Payton Tolle.

With Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer and Kristian Campbell all graduating to the majors in 2025, that leaves Tolle atop Boston’s farm system as the team’s clear-cut top prospect. Tolle briefly appeared in the majors last season, too, posting a 0-1 record with a 6.06 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 16.1 innings of work.

While the numbers aren’t great, Tolle proved right out of the gate that he has the potential to become a frontline starter for the Sox down the line. Tolle’s billing as a top prospect is maintained across the league, as he was recently ranked the No. 22 prospect in baseball by ESPN heading into the 2026 season.

“Tolle went 50th in the 2024 draft out of TCU, then took a huge step forward in 2025, rising all the way to the big leagues,” Kiley McDaniel wrote. “He raised his arm slot a bit and gained roughly 4 mph on his fastball, which helped to sharpen his off-speed stuff a bit, as well.

Tolle’s fastball is his bread and butter, a plus pitch, one he threw 53% of the time in the minors and 64% of the time in seven big league appearances. His cutter, slider and changeup are all around average. His likely outcomes range from No. 2 to No. 4 starter.”

What the upcoming season will entail for Tolle is unknown. He’s close to being ready for the majors (if he isn’t already), but with so many other pitchers in town already, that may force him to begin the year in the minors, even if he stands out during Spring Training.

Of course, the Red Sox could restructure their roster before the season starts in an effort to open a roster spot for Tolle. Regardless of where he lands, though, fans will surely keep tabs on his performance, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he becomes a key contributor in the majors by the time the 2026 campaign wraps up.