3 min read

It’s the playful smirk that’s trying so hard not to become a smug grin. People love it, and they should.

There’s Payton Tolle, the 6-foot-6 giant rookie pitcher for the Boston Red Sox with the left arm of Zeus, one strike from an immaculate inning Sunday afternoon, smiling with mischief because he knows what’s coming. He’s going to throw a pitch right by Kansas City Royals slugger Jac Caglianone.

And he does, three strikeouts on nine pitches, the immaculate inning, and more of that Tolle joy. It’s what Red Sox fans have come to love and expect every time Tolle pitches. He may hug an opponent, he may do a pushup on the mound, or he may grin like a kid who knows he’s up to harmless no good.

During it all, he will pitch to the best of his ability and have a stone cold blast doing it. Which makes it more fun for everybody, which is the reason we’re supposed to care about this game, right? If it doesn’t inspire joy, why do we bother?

Here in Maine, we saw this Tolle last summer, during his brief stopover with the Portland Sea Dogs during his sprint through the Red Sox minor league system.

Tolle was promoted to Portland on June 24 last year. He got the call to Triple-A Worcester on Aug. 6.That’s 44 days, a blip in his career. More than enough time to make a fantastic impression, though.

Juan Rivera is the Sea Dogs pitching coach, and worked closely with Tolle when he was in Portland. What you see on television, the unrestrained enthusiasm, that’s the real Tolle. He’s really that happy, positive guy you see on the mound. The 23-year old Tolle does not fake the funk.

“It’s as simple as saying hello with a smile on his face and giving people hugs. He’s doing it genuinely. It’s not for show. It’s who he is. He genuinely wants to know how your day is going and he gives you a hug,” Rivera said.

Emma Tiedemann is the play-by-play voice of the Sea Dogs. Tolle often walked off the mound laughing or pumping his fist, she said. She interviewed Tolle a few times last summer, including once for the team’s official podcast. She asked him, what’s your biggest accomplishment, expecting one of the standard answers: Getting drafted into pro ball or winning a championship.

Instead, Tolle talked about taking down the 72-ounce steak challenge at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. In one hour, he ate the 72-ounce steak, a baked potato, a salad, a buttered dinner roll, and a fried shrimp cocktail. An immaculate inning, indeed.

“But it was great, because he was truly proud of himself,” Tiedemann said. “It’s really impressive to see an athlete be able to carry that type of mentality through the ups and downs. A franchise like Boston, those fans are not always easy to play for and they will let you hear it whenever you’re having a bad outing. But he has kept that smile on his face through it all, and that stems from his mother.”

Tolle’s mother, Jina Tolle, died in May 2024 after a brave battle with cancer. Her son was drafted by the Red Sox in July. Baseball is supposed be fun, Tolle’s mother told him. Show joy. Be humble. Keep the game in perspective and do not let success or failure on the field define you.

In that regard, every fist pump or joyful shout from the mound is a tribute to the woman who reminded Tolle that his talent is a gift.

Tolle partners that positivity with a love for baseball, Tiedemann said, and that why you’re seeing the results when he takes the mound. He allowed two or fewer earned runs in 16 of his 25 starts so far this season. He is 9-6 with a 3.02 ERA. When he takes the ball, Tolle gives the Red Sox a chance to win more often than not.

His next start is scheduled for Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays. Maybe Tolle and the Sox will win. Maybe they’ll lose. No matter what, he’ll have fun. With the playoffs on the horizon, that’s something we can all keep in mind.