The Boston Red Sox are about to call up the organization’s No. 1 prospect from Triple-A, according to a new report Sunday, April 19, with a potential Monday start now coming into focus. The weather may be the most important factor that could lead to the 2026 major league debut of the 6-foot-6, 250-pound left-hander on Monday.
Payton Tolle is ranked the No. 1 prospect in the Red Sox system by MLB Pipeline, and No. 15 in baseball overall.
Payton Tolle made his MLB debut last year on Aug. 29, squaring off at Fenway Park against Pittsburgh Pirates generational ace Paul Skenes. Tolle made a strong impression, holding his own compared to the eventual 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner, allowing two runs on three hits in 5 1/3 innings while striking out eight against two walks.
If the weather forces a doubleheader Sunday, the Red Sox could fast-track one of their most anticipated pitching debuts of the season.
Tolle’s 100 mph fastball combined with his enthusiastic displays of emotion on the mound and in postgame interviews made the now-23-year-old left-hander an instant Red Sox Nation fan-favorite. But when the Red Sox broke camp out of spring training this year, Tolle was not with the major-league club, sent back to Triple-A Worcester instead.
But on Sunday, veteran Boston Globe reporter Alex Speier posted a new update on Tolleâs situation.
“Payton Tolle was scratched from his scheduled start for the WooSox on Saturday, and isnât starting today,” Speier wrote on his social media account. “Heâs being held back in case the Sox have a doubleheader tomorrow.”
GettyPayton Tolle of the Boston Red Sox may be called up from the minors Monday.
Tolle Saw Meteoric Rise Last Season
Tolle’s season in 2025 was head-spinning. After the Red Sox drafted him in the second round in 2024 out of Texas Christian University, they assigned him to the High-A level Greenville Drive where he started the 2025 season.
After 11 starts, the Red Sox quickly promoted Tolle to the Double-A level, the Portland Sea Dogs. Tolle was so impressive that he made only six starts at Double-A before the club pushed him to the Triple-A level with the Worcester Red Sox, better known as the WooSox.
Just three starts later, Tolle got the call-up every baseball player hopes for. He would make his big league debut.
Weather Could Be Factor in Tolle Call-Up
Tolle stuck with the big league team through the rest of the regular season and even made a brief appearance in the American League Wild Card Series, which the Red Sox ultimately lost to the New York Yankees in a maximum of three games.
Now, on Sunday, the Red Sox were forced to move the start time of the third game of their three-game series against the Detroit Tigers from 1:35 p.m. ET to 4:35 p.m. due to an ominous forecast of inclement weather.
And the weather still threatened the game. About 200 miles south on the East Coast Sunday, the New York Yankees game against the Kansas City Royals was delayed by rain. According to RotoWire‘s weather outlook, the Red Sox-Tigers game was also likely to be delayed or postponed.
“It’s expected to be 49° F with a 80% chance of rain and 16 MPH wind blowing left to right in Boston at 4:35 PM EST,” the report said.
On Monday, the Red Sox and Tigers are scheduled for a rare 11 a.m. ET start, as part of the Red Sox annual Patriots Day tradition of playing morning games on that Massachusetts state holiday each year. That leaves plenty of time in the day for a second game, if Sunday’s contest was rained out.
According to Speier’s report, one of the two games would be Tolle’s to start.
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