Red Sox Rumors: Star Pitching Prospect Promoted To Double-A
Pitching has been a central storyline for the Boston Red Sox so far in the 2025 season. Finding guys to fill in the starting rotation and bullpen hasn’t exactly been easy for the Red Sox, and while their farm system is quite deep, the majority of their top prospects are hitters rather than pitchers.
Still, that’s not to say Boston doesn’t have any promising pitching prospects at their disposal. Case in point, one of their top young arms in the minors, Payton Tolle, reportedly earned a major accomplishment on Sunday night.
A second-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Tolle spent last year with the TCU Horned Frogs before joining the Red Sox organization. He started off the 2025 campaign at High-A Greenville, and he quickly made an impression on his new team.
In 11 games, 10 of which were starts, Tolle showed why he may just be Boston’s highest upside pitching prospect. He posted a strong 3.62 ERA with 79 strikeouts, and while he only earned one win, it became clear early on that when Tolle has his best stuff, he’s deadly.
The Red Sox front office has taken note of Tolle’s strong play, and it’s earned him a promotion as he was called up to Double-A Portland.
“Eduardo Rivera, Payton Tolle, and Brooks Brannon are all being promoted to Double-A Portland, per source,” Josh Ball of Beyond the Monster reported. Chris Cotillo of MassLive confirmed the news.
Tolle is ranked the Red Sox No. 15 overall prospect, and if he can continue to star in Double-A, he’ll move up that very quickly. At just 22 years old, Tolle has time to find his way to the majors, but you can bet the team will be thrilled with the progress he has made so far this year.
Elsewhere in Portland, David Sandlin, another one of Boston’s top pitching prospects, earned Eastern League Pitcher of the Week. With Tolle joining him, the Sea Dogs suddenly have a very exciting starting rotation leading the way for them.