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Payton Tolle Worth a Waiver Pickup Despite Tough Upcoming Matchup
Boston Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle is worth considering off the waiver wire despite allowing a season-high seven hits and three earned runs in five innings in a loss in his last outing against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays. The 23-year-old former second-rounder in 2024 out of TCU is one of the more promising young left-handed arms in baseball, and he has two quality starts in his four outings so far in 2026. Tolle also hasn't allowed more than three earned runs in any of his four starts, although he'll have a difficult challenge his next time out against the first-place Atlanta Braves. In his four starts (22 2/3 innings), Tolle has pitched to a 2.78 ERA (2.80 FIP) and 0.88 WHIP with 27 strikeouts and only six walks. His advanced metrics are solid as well, with an xwOBA in the 97th percentile, a strikeout rate in the 93rd percentile, and a walk rate in the 76th percentile. Tolle struggled to a 6.06 ERA and 1.59 WHIP in his first seven MLB outings (three starts) for Boston last year, but he features a diverse arsenal and a fastball in the upper-90s. The stuff is real, and he's available in more than half of Yahoo leagues.
Source: Baseball Reference
Source: Baseball Reference
