Payton Tolle is the highest pitching prospect in what’s arguably baseball’s greatest farm system. Drafted Fiftieth-overall final summer season by the Boston Purple Sox out of Texas Christian College, the 22-year-old left-hander includes a fastball that Eric Longenhagen has assigned a 70 grade, and never simply due to its excessive octane. Per our lead prospect analyst, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound hurler possessed “the 2024 draft’s most misleading secondary traits,” which included seven-and-a-half ft of extension.
I requested Tolle about his four-seamer, which sat 95 mph after I noticed toe the rubber for the Double-A Portland Sea Canines versus the Hartford Yard Goats 10 days in the past.
“The velo is one thing we’ve sort of pushed arduous ever since I bought to the Purple Sox org,” stated Tolle, who was 90-92 in faculty and is now topping out at 98-99. “I’m shopping for into the system, shopping for into how the velo goes to alter how every little thing appears. I additionally perceive that extra swing-and-miss goes to return on the high of the zone. At Wichita State, my first 12 months, I felt like I used to be virtually extra sinkers, however then I switched up my grip. I introduced my fingers nearer collectively and began to have extra experience on it.”
Tolle transferred from Wichita State to TCU for his junior 12 months, the place he — together with the Horned Frogs teaching workers — “actually dove into how the fastball performs and what we will play off of it.” Since turning professional, that evolution has continued with a heavy emphasis on secondary choices. Whereas his fastball utilization as an novice was usually 70-75%, it has been nearer to 50% in his current outings. A piece-in-progress changeup has develop into extra prevalent — Tolle bought dangerous swings on a couple of of them after I noticed him in Portland — however a tough breaking ball is at the moment his high possibility behind his heater.
“We’ve put a whole lot of coaching financial system right into a slider/cutter/gyro,” defined Tolle. “We’ve sort of known as it every little thing within the ebook. I’m making an attempt to throw it with a whole lot of velo. It’s beginning to stand up to 87-88, and I believe I’ve thrown one at 90. I name it a slider, nevertheless it’s in all probability extra of a gyro slider. You’ll be able to name it something you need, so long as it’s doing what I need.”
After which there may be what to name the mountain-sized southpaw’s low-arm-slot supply. In his report, Longenhagen opined that “it doesn’t look fairly,” including that “the ugliness of Tolle’s supply additional cloaks his fastball, and the road on it’s extremely tough for hitters to match.” My quoting these phrases elicited a smiling response from the good-natured Stillwater, Oklahoma native.
“I suppose it’s ugly,” shrugged Tolle. “I by no means thought it was ugly. My mother at all times informed me I used to be tremendous fairly. However ugliness… I would favor to name it uniqueness. I’d somewhat we use form phrases.”
His numbers are fairly enticing. Tolle has tossed 67-and-two thirds innings on the season, the final 18 of them with the Sea Canines, and has a 3.19 ERA, a 2.74 FIP, and a 39.0% strikeout charge. His stroll charge is 6.6%, whereas his BAA is .215.
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Barry Foote went 7 for 15 in opposition to Tug McGraw.
Cotton Tierney went 9 for 14 in opposition to Clyde Barfoot.
Shanty Hogan went 16 for 34 in opposition to Socks Seibold.
Salvador Perez went 10 for 18 in opposition to Matt Shoemaker.
Boots Day went 8 for 16 in opposition to Steve Blass.
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Nick Lodolo is having a career-best season. The 27-year-old Cincinnati Reds southpaw has began 20 video games and long-established a file of 7-6 with a 3.33 ERA and a 3.98 FIP over 113-and-two-thirds innings. Being at full energy has so much to do along with his success. As MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon identified throughout spring coaching, Lodolo had spent extra days on the IL than wholesome since debuting with the Nationwide League Central membership in 2022.
Being out of motion for all however seven video games in 2023 on account of a stress fracture in his left tibia additionally performed a task within the success he’s having.
“Once I was harm and couldn’t throw, I spent a whole lot of time simply holding a changeup in my hand, getting snug with it,” Lodolo informed me when the Reds visited Fenway Park earlier this month. “Since getting back from lacking virtually that entire 12 months, my changeup has been so much higher. It’s nonetheless a piece in progress — every little thing at all times is — however I’m undoubtedly extra snug with that pitch.”
Batters clearly haven’t been snug seeing the pitch. They’ve only a .176 batting common and a .306 slugging share in opposition to it this season. At 22.2%, Lodolo’s changeup utilization can be the best of his profession.
Requested how merely holding — not really throwing — a pitch might help enhance it, the 6-foot-6 lefty stated that it’s a matter of consolation. As he defined, “You’ll be able to train guys grips, but when it doesn’t really feel good in your hand, you’re in all probability going to go to one thing else.” In Lodolo’s case, the grip — “a reasonably conventional two-seam changeup” — is similar one he’s at all times had. He merely hadn’t thrown it as usually, nor with as a lot consistency and command.
Command is a Lodolo sturdy swimsuit. His 4.9% stroll charge this 12 months is third lowest within the senior circuit, whereas his profession mark is a still-stingy 6.9%.
Together with a changeup, Lodolo’s combine contains four-seamers (28.7%), two-seamers (21.7%), and breaking balls (27.4%). The final of these is categorized as a curveball by Baseball Savant, however he wasn’t practically that particular when citing the remainder of his repertoire. “Together with my fastballs, I’ve my… no matter you need to name it — slider/curveball/sweeper,” Lodolo informed me. “I’ve had it since highschool, and nonetheless really feel that it’s my greatest pitch.”
Whereas his breaker has at all times had a whole lot of horizontal motion, I used to be nonetheless intrigued by the lefty’s having included “sweeper” within the definition. His ideas on that label?
“You’ll be able to name it that, however I’m not purposefully throwing a sweeper,” replied Lododo. “My arm angle simply creates that. The grip… I don’t even know what a sweeper grip is, to be trustworthy with you. I’m throwing it the identical means I’ve thrown it for years. However once more, it’s my greatest pitch.”
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A quiz:
The St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore in 1954. Since that point, one Orioles pitcher has received as many as 25 video games in a single season. Who’s it? (A touch: he went on develop into a broadcast analyst.)
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NEWS NOTES
Daniel Bard and Kyle Gibson every introduced his retirement this previous week. Gibson went 112-111 with a 4.60 whereas throwing 1,878 innings over 13 seasons. Bard went 31-35 with 66 saves over 408 appearances, all however 10 in reduction, throughout 9 seasons. Together with having had strong careers, each possess well-earned reputations nearly as good teammates.
Jim Clancy, a right-hander who pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1977-1988, and later for the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves, died on July 14 at age 69. An All-Star in 1982, Clancy was credited with 140 profession wins, all however 12 for Toronto. He logged a win within the 1991 World Sequence whereas with Atlanta.
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The reply to the quiz is Steve Stone, who went 25-7 for the Orioles in 1980. Mike Cuellar and Dave McNally had 24-win seasons, whereas Jim Palmer, who received 20 or extra eight instances, topped out at 23.
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Andy Freed has been the radio voice of the Tampa Bay Rays since 2005, however like most broadcasters he doesn’t name video games for the staff he grew up following. A Maryland native, Freed rooted for the Baltimore Orioles. His favourite pitcher was Mike Flanagan.
“He pitched the primary recreation I ever went to, August ninth, 1979,” recalled Freed, who’d been born eight years earlier. “Wet night time, Orioles-Brewers, Eddie Murray homered. Flanagan threw an entire recreation. He was additionally my first baseball card. I discovered it on my neighbor’s yard. I believe it was a 1977.”
Recreation One of many 1979 World Sequence additionally stands out for the fan-turned-broadcaster.
“Flanagan is in hassle,” Freed remembered. “He’d received 23 video games that 12 months and ended up profitable the Cy Younger, however he’s thrown one thing like 140 pitches and is dealing with Willie Stargell with two out within the ninth. The Orioles had led 5-0, however now it was 5-4. Stargell had already homered in opposition to him. Flanagan later informed the story about how he clearly remembers pondering, ‘I’m going to throw this ball the toughest that I can bodily throw it to get it by Willie.’ Lo and behold, he popped it as much as the left aspect, Mark Belanger caught it and the Orioles received Recreation One.”
The Pirates got here again from down three-games-to-one to win that 12 months’s Fall Basic in seven video games. Flanagan, who went to develop into the Orioles GM, took his personal life in 2011. “I nonetheless get emotional after I consider his dying,” Freed informed me.
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A random obscure former participant snapshot:
The primary of Wealthy Butler’s seven big-league residence runs was additionally the primary hit by a Tampa Bay batter in a [Devil] Rays win. Wade Boggs had homered within the 1998 growth staff’s preliminary recreation — an 11-6 loss to the Tigers at Tropicana Discipline — and the next day, Butler left the yard in opposition to Detroit’s Bryce Florie in an 11-8 residence staff victory.
A Toronto-born outfielder, Butler appeared in seven video games for the Blue Jays in 1997 earlier than being taken by the D-Rays within the growth draft and occurring to play in 79 video games for Tampa Bay throughout the 1998-1999 seasons. All of his residence runs, and 49 of his 53 profession hits, got here in 1998. His older brother, Rob Butler, performed within the bigs with each the Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies. The siblings have been collectively on Group Canada.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Shintaro Fujinami has signed with NPB’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars. The 31-year-old right-hander pitched for the Hanshin Tigers from 2013-2022 earlier than coming stateside to pitch for the Oakland Athletics and Baltimore Orioles on the MLB stage, and for the New York Mets and Seattle Mariners within the minors.
Trey Wingenter has a 41.7% strikeout charge and a 1.86 ERA over 31 appearances comprising 29 innings for the Seibu Lions. The 30-yer-old right-hander is in his first NPB season after beforehand pitching for 4 MLB groups, primarily the San Diego Padres, from 2018-2024.
Shugo Maki has a 156 wRC+ to go together with a .280/.331/.479 slash line and 15 residence runs in 363 plate appearances for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars. The 27-year-old second baseman has 113 homers and a 149 wRC+ over four-plus NPB seasons.
Byeong Hyeon Jo is 4-1 with a 1.32 ERA and a 30.9% strikeout charge over 41 innings for the KBO’s SSG Landers. The 23-year-old right-hander has allowed 24 hits and issued eight free passes.
Michael Wielansky has 23 steals in 25 makes an attempt to go together with a .348/.428/.459 slash line over 202 plate appearances for the Mexican League’s Charros de Jalisco. The 28-year-old infielder out of the Faculty of Wooster performed within the Houston Astros system from 2018-2021, and within the San Francisco Giants system in 2023.
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Ceddanne Rafaela is breaking out with the bat this season — Davy Andrews wrote about it only a few days in the past — and an improved capability to deal with heaters is a giant purpose why. Reducing his fingers and reducing his pre-pitch motion has allowed that to occur.
“He understands what he must do,” Purple Sox supervisor Alex Cora defined following a Purple Sox win simply earlier than the All-Star break. “Clearly, the changes within the offseason. I’m a giant believer that the massive strikes don’t work right here. In case you have a look at his numbers final 12 months on fastballs, he wasn’t catching as much as fastballs… I talked to him towards the tip of the season. I used to be like, ‘We have to do that; we have to get your fingers tighter.’ He labored on it. He bought to spring coaching and felt good about it. Little by little, they’re creeping decrease and decrease. He’s in a position to catch as much as the fastball now.”
Rafaela had a .224 batting common, a .448 slugging share, and a 37.9% whiff charge on four-seamers final 12 months. To date this season, these numbers are .310, .598, and 22.6%. Making contact much more ceaselessly, the free-swinger’s general strikeout charge is a better-than-league-average 18.9%.
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Rafaela hit a breaking ball when he walked off Tampa Bay’s Pete Fairbanks with a house run over the Inexperienced Monster final weekend. He equipped a top quality quote after the sport.
“I confronted him the final time they have been right here,” Rafaela informed reporters. “He threw me a curveball that I didn’t swing [at]. Since then, I needed to see that curveball once more. I imply, he’s an incredible pitcher. He threw an incredible pitch. I made an incredible swing.”
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FARM NOTES
Jeremiah Jackson is slashing .311/.337/.530 with 13 residence runs and a 132 wRC+ over 333 plate appearances between Double-A Chesapeake and Triple-A Norfolk. The 25-year-old multi-position infielder signed a minor league cope with the Baltimore Orioles in November after beforehand taking part in within the Los Angeles Angels and New York Mets programs.
Wilder Dalis is slashing .355/.435/.533 with three residence runs and a 150 wRC+ over 203 plate appearances within the Arizona Complicated League. An honorable point out when our Colorado Rockies Prime Prospects checklist got here out in January, the 18-year-old shortstop/third baseman was signed out of Venezuela in Could 2023.
Adrian Ardines has a 33.9% strikeout charge, a 3.6% stroll charge, and a 2.17 ERA over 29 innings within the Dominican Summer season League. Unranked on our recently-released Houston Astros Prime Prospects checklist, the 18-year-old right-hander was signed out of Panama in January of final 12 months.
Sean Paul Liñan has a 33.7% strikeout charge, a 9.8% stroll charge, and a 2.74 ERA over 72-and-a-third innings throughout a number of ranges. Ranked thirtieth when our Los Angeles Dodgers Prime Prospects checklist got here out in April, the 20-year-old right-hander from Cartagena, Colombia is at the moment with the Excessive-A Nice Lakes Loons.
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José Ramírez is having fun with a wonderful season, which is par for the course. The Cleveland Guardians third baseman boasts a 142 wRC+ and 4.1 WAR, whereas his profession marks in these classes are 130 and 55.5. Going sturdy at age 32, he’s on observe for a plaque in Cooperstown.
Which brings me to David Wright, whom I critically thought of, however in the end didn’t vote for, both of the 2 instances he’s appeared on the Corridor of Fame poll. The erstwhile Mets third sacker had a 133 wRC+ and 51.3 WAR, in addition to seven All-Star berths and a pair of Gold Gloves. Ramírez, who hasn’t been awarded a Gold Glove, was named an All-Star for the seventh time this season.
When this season involves a detailed, Wright and Ramírez can have performed in roughly the identical variety of video games. I count on to someday put a checkmark subsequent the latter’s identify — one may moderately argue he’s already worthy — however what concerning the former? Regardless of an absence of longevity limiting his counting stats, Wright clearly has spectacular numbers. Corridor of Famer? I’m leaning in that route.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
Now not with Kyodo Information, Tokyo-based baseball reporter Jim Allen was in a position to
share a narrative on his e-newsletter that his outdated employer didn’t need revealed: How NPB groups have drastically, and infrequently disingenuously, lowered press entry.
The KBO gamers’ affiliation has criticized the Kiwoom Heroes — the Seoul-based membership has by far the league’s worst file — for questionable working practices. Jee-ho Yoo has the story at Yonhap Information Company.
MLB.com’s Michael Clair wrote about notable worldwide gamers taken on this 12 months’s novice draft.
Pitcher Checklist’s Jack Foley wrote about how Miami Marlins right-hander Eury Pérez, again from damage, is just scratching the floor.
A shift in ideology has led to a Toronto Blue Jays pitching prospect renaissance. Geoff Pontes has the particulars at Baseball America.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Toronto Blue Jays batters have a 17.5% strikeout charge, the bottom within the majors. Colorado Rockies batters have a 26.4% strikeout charge, the best within the majors.
New York Yankees batters have a ten.1% stroll charge, the best within the majors.
Kansas Metropolis Royals batters have a 6.4% stroll charge, the bottom within the majors.
Kyle Schwarber has 995 hits, together with 500 singles and 316 residence runs.
Jamey Carroll had 1,000 hits, together with 812 singles and 13 residence runs.
The Pittsburgh Pirates franchise started in 1882 as Allegheny Metropolis, with the membership forging a file of 39-39 in its maiden season. As of yesterday, the franchise had an all-time file of 10,878-10,878. Furthermore, they hadn’t been beneath .500 since 1903. (Hat tip to outdated pal John Perrotto, who made be aware of the file at Pittsburgh Baseball Now.)
Henry Aaron hit the 755th, and final, residence run of his profession on right now’s date in 1976. The Corridor of Famer’s solo shot off of Dick Drago helped propel the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-2 residence win over the California Angels.
New York Yankees right-hander Mel Stottlemyre hit an inside-the-park grand slam in opposition to the Boston Purple Sox on right now’s date in 1965. Stottlemyre went the space in New York’s 6-2 win, whereas Invoice Monbouquette was saddled with the loss.
On right now’s date in 1954, the Boston Purple Sox and Cleveland Indians performed to a 5-5 tie at Fenway Park when a curfew ended the 16-inning affair at 12:57am. The house staff had been one out away from a win when Cleveland’s Bobby Avila hit his second residence run of the sport with a runner aboard within the ninth. Avila led the junior circuit with a .341 batting common that 12 months.
On right now’s date in 1985, Barbaro Garbey plated Alan Trammell with a Fifteenth-inning walk-off single to present the Detroit Tigers a 6-5 win over the Texas Rangers. Garbey had earlier singled residence Lou Whitaker to knot the sport at 5-5 within the thirteenth inning. Invoice Scherrer — a longtime scout following his taking part in profession — bought the win in reduction.
Gamers born on right now’s date embody Mickey Stanley, a local of Grand Rapids, Michigan who performed for the Detroit Tigers from 1964-1978. A four-time Gold Glove-winning centerfielder, Stanley began all seven video games of the 1968 World Sequence at shortstop regardless of having beforehand spent simply 9 video games on the place as knowledgeable.
Additionally born on right now’s date was Hunter “Dodo” Lane, a 3rd baseman from Pulaski, Tennessee who went 1-for-15 whereas taking part in for the Boston Braves in 1924. The previous College of Tennessee soccer standout’s lone hit got here in opposition to Brooklyn Robins right-hander Tiny Osborne.