Payton Tolle has emerged as a frontline starter for the Boston Red Sox.
The Boston Red Sox named the 6-foot-6 southpaw as their starter in the American League Wild Card Series opener against the New York Yankees.
Tolle has had a sharp rookie season, posting a 3.03 ERA in 26 regular-season starts. He also struck out 171 batters in 148.2 innings.
NewBostonPost did a Five Questions interview with Tolle at Polar Park, home of the Worcester Red Sox, before the big club called him up.
It is below:
1. After your time with Boston last September and October, many articles described you as a fan favorite. Was there a particular moment or fan interaction that stood out to you?
I mean, I don’t know. I think I just try to interact with as many people as I can. So, I mean, whatever they want to say is great, but I just try to treat people the same no matter what. So it’s been fun. It’s a great fan base.
2. In college, you were a two-way player. But at Texas Christian University, your results on the mound improved once you stopped hitting on the days you pitched. How much did being able to focus on just pitching those days help you?
Yeah, I definitely saw a lot with just fatigue. I wasn’t getting to the fourth inning, and it being a grind. I was able to get into the sixth, seventh, eighth innings and be able to continue to have full strength. So it definitely helped out a lot. … I took it from my Wichita State days. I did one game where I just pitched against East Carolina. It was my best outing. So after that, I was like, ‘Okay, we’re not pitching great. I want to just pitch today.’ And [my coach] agreed. So it worked out for us.
3. You had a 0.25 ERA as a senior at Bethany High School in Oklahoma. Did you expect to get drafted out of high school? And even though you weren't drafted out of high school, did that season change your view of your potential?
I mean, I didn’t feel like there were a whole lot of looks out of high school. I thought maybe, if anything, late. But I didn’t really know what I was yet. I was hitting well. I was pitching well. So it was kind of difficult to pick one yet. But I was going to go to Wichita State no matter what. So it was a good, fun year. I kind of wish that we won, got to the state tournament, but, you know, it is what it is.
4. How does prayer fit into your daily routine during the baseball season? Is there anything you pray for in particular?
I think kind of where we’re at in life right now is like, I’m praying for a lot of peace. Just peace of mind, peace of understanding situations and, you know, knowing that God’s got me through it. And kind of having the peace of, no matter what happens with whatever news that I get in the day, it’s like I’m good because God knows where I’m at. That’s what I pray for almost every night. … And just being able to have joy every single day. You know, joy comes from the goodness of God and not from something of the flesh.
5. Is there anything you’d like Red Sox fans to know about you that they might not know already?
I’m an open book, so I think that they know quite a bit.
[Editor's note: You can read my other Five Questions interviews with Tolle here, here, and here. You can also read about his baptism, his high school football career, and his thoughts on steak.