Red Sox getting breakout from 2.70 ERA lefty is biggest surprise of 2026 season

May 28, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Payton Tolle (70) pitches against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images

There are plenty of teams around Major League Baseball having disappointing 2026 seasons, and the Boston Red Sox might be having one of the worst seasons of those teams.

It's not just that this team is 29-40, sitting at the bottom of the league, but they've seen multiple roster moves come back to bite them, most notably the loss of young left-handed Kyle Harrison. It's been a nightmare 2026 season for the Red Sox.

However, there has been one big surprise that, as Ian Browne of MLB.com highlighted, comes from 23-year-old left-handed starting pitcher Peyton Tolle amid his strong 2.70 ERA start to the season.

Peyton Tolle's emergence has been biggest surprise for Red Sox

"Tolle showed flashes when he was a late-season call-up last year, but wasn't ready to hold down a regular rotation spot," Browne writes. "It has been the opposite in this, his official rookie season, as the lefty has pounded the zone with a variety of pitches since his promotion on April 23."

While the Red Sox might be having a terrible 2026 season as a club, the production of Tolle has been at least one positive takeaway from this season.

He has a 2.70 ERA this season in nine starts since his mid-season call-up, and it's been a significant improvement over his 6.06 ERA last year.

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In 53.1 innings pitched, he has 54 strikeouts, 14 walks, and three homers allowed with a 2.71 FIP and 1.050 WHIP. His 152 ERA+ is more than double his 62 ERA+ from a year ago.

While one could make the argument that the injuries to Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet, the struggles from Bryan Bello, or the early firing of Alex Cora have been the biggest surprises of the regular season for the Red Sox so far.

But Tolle turning into a legitimate ace-caliber pitcher is a much-needed win for this team amid a disastrous 2026 season. Tolle looks to be a future ace for the Red Sox, and once Crochet comes back, they might have two of the best left-handed pitchers in MLB.

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