RADIO
Payton Tolle a Priority Addition as Strikeout Rate Climbs
Boston Red Sox starter Payton Tolle has solidified himself as a key rotation piece for the team, and in doing so, he has also emerged as a high-priority waiver wire target for fantasy baseball managers. Tolle started the year in Triple-A, but he was called up in late April and has been terrific since then. Across seven big-league starts, he owns a 2.66 ERA, 2.19 xERA, 10.02 K/9, 2.40 BB/9, and 0.65 HR/9. His ground ball rate is a modest 34%, but that's close to his career average in the minors, and we're not concerned about it because his HR/9 rate is low. Strikeouts have always been one of Tolle's strengths, and he has put that on display lately. He has 16 strikeouts over his last 10.2 innings of work. He is also 1-0 over his last three starts, as well as 2-1 over his last five starts. With a high strikeout rate, low walk rate, low home run rate, and low ERA -- as well as an ability to pitch deep into games -- Tolle is a must-add name on the waiver wire. The lefty is available in 44% of leagues, and he ranks as the #46 starting pitcher in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
