Red Sox Rookie Reveals Key ‘Mindset Change’ Coming Into Season originally appeared on NESN.
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Playing baseball requires constant adjustments, especially at the Major League level.
In the minors, players with impressive physical skills are the ones who stand out and get fast-tracked to the big leagues. Players who throw hard, hit long home runs and run fast get noticed easily, so there’s a lot of pressure to maximize those skills.
Once they get to the majors, however, that’s when the real work begins. That’s when they need to polish their skills and become more well-rounded, lest their holes and flaws get exposed.
Boston Red Sox rookie Payton Tolle acknowledged that difference during his appearance on “Foul Territory” on Friday.
Payton Tolle acknowledges that “velo is king right now” in regards to getting to the big leagues.
But now his mindset is a big different. “It’s maintain velocity and also be able to spin it and get it into the zone.” pic.twitter.com/fdj1MbWz7w
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) March 13, 2026
“I think that velo is king right now, but a lot of guys are different,” Tolle said. “For me, the velo is a thing that I want to continue to work on, continue to build on. But you need to have spin in order to pitch well. You can’t be one-dimensional out there.”
Tolle rocketed through the Red Sox farm system last year, going from High A at the beginning of the season to the Major Leagues by late August. He was rewarded for his elite velocity, which is a big reason why he’s considered one of the best prospects in baseball.
Now, however, the 23-year-old lefty is focused on fine-tuning his command and improving his spin rate to be more consistent on the mound.
“It’s a good mindset change for me…The velo will help the offspeeds get better,” Tolle said. “Now it’s like, okay, maintain the velocity and also be able to spin it and get it into the zone.”
While Tolle will likely begin the season in Triple-A so that he can keep working on those things, he has the potential to be a key contributor for Boston this year if he can do all of them effectively and take the next step as a hurler.
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