"After Payton Tolle's debut, I wrote that he already has one of the best fastballs in the major leagues. The combination of velocity, shape, and extension creates a pitch that can be unhittable. I expected some regression outside of the energy factor that is Fenway Park, but in his second outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks, the metrics were just as good. The velocity was down a touch, but the vertical movement and extension were actually both even greater than in his first outing."
"Unfortunately for Tolle, the Diamondbacks entered the game with a plan to hit his fastball and had the personnel to execute that plan. In the first inning alone, Arizona fouled off five fastballs, three of which came with two strikes. In the second inning, they fouled off six more two-strike fastballs. Tolle threw 52 pitches and allowed two runs in the first two innings. It was a textbook example of why a major league starting pitcher needs to have a plan B."
Payton Tolle's fastball combined velocity, shape, and extension to produce a dominant pitch with unhittable potential. In his second outing, velocity dipped slightly while vertical movement and extension increased versus his debut. The Arizona Diamondbacks attacked the fastball, fouling off many pitches including multiple two-strike fouls across the first two innings. Tolle threw 52 pitches and allowed two runs in the first two innings. Major league starters require a distinct Plan B when opponents adjust. Tolle shifted to cutters, curveballs, and changeups in his third inning, throwing only nine fastballs of 25 pitches. The secondary offerings failed to stop the damage.
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