(Cover photo via gofrogs.com)
The 2024 MLB Draft is not too far away. The draft will be 20 rounds over 3 days starting on July 14.
Once again, the Sooner State should be well represented with players that have ties to the Sooner State that will have their name called during the draft.
Leading up to the draft, we will take a look at some of the those players.
*Prospect Ranking: MLB Top 200 (MLB), ESPN Top 150 (ESPN), Perfect Game Top 500 (PG)
*When looking at the scouting grades, MLB uses a “20-80” system: 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average, 70-80 is well above average.
Today’s player: Payton Tolle
Payton Tolle has had an interesting time in his three years of college baseball. The 2021 Bethany grad played his first two seasons at Wichita State and was one of the best 2-way players in the country. After a coaching staff overhaul at WSU, Tolle transferred to TCU where before the end of the season, he was primarily a pitcher.
The big lefty was dominant on the mound for the Horned Frogs as he went 7-4 in his 14 starts with 81.1 IP, and ERA of 3.21, 57 H, 125 K, 37 BB, and BAVG of just .198. All of this led to Tolle earning the Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year and 2nd Team All American per D1Baseball.
Draft Prospect Rankings
- MLB – 87
- ESPN – 88
- PG – 69
Scouting Grades and MLB Report
Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 40 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45
One of college baseball’s best two-way players in two seasons at Wichita State, Tolle transferred to Texas Christian for 2024. While his large frame and well-above-average raw power brought to mind former Horned Frogs slugger/lefty pitcher Luken Baker, Tolle surprisingly struggled at the plate and focused more on pitching this spring. Relying primarily on his fastball, he won Big 12 Conference Pitcher of the Year honors while striking out 105 in 69 innings and working his way into the top three rounds.
Tolle uses his 6-foot-6 frame to create more extension (an average of 7 feet, 4 inches) in his delivery than most pitchers in this Draft. That enables his 90-92 mph fastball to play much better than its below-average velocity, and he shows the ability to run it in on lefties or bore it in on righties. His heater tops out at 96 and he uses it nearly three-quarters of the time, complementing it with an average sweeping slider that hovers around 80 mph.
Tolle barely employs his low-80s changeup with mild fade. He’s a below-average athlete with average control at best, yet college hitters can’t touch his heater. He’s a polarizing prospect whose proponents extol his fastball metrics while others see him as more of a multi-inning reliever than a starter.
Per mlb.com
Outlook
As someone who had the pleasure of seeing Tolle play in high school, it’s a shame that he is now “just” a pitcher. Tolle was a presence in the box and put fear in the opposing team’s pitcher.
Having said that, this author can’t believe that Tolle is rated this “low” in the rankings. Sure Tolle is solidly in the 3rd round area, but just watching him pitch this season I would’ve thought it’d be higher.
This author is a Cubs fan and he reminds me of a bigger Jon Lester or even a bigger Justin Steele. They have fastballs that may not be the fastest, but they don’t give in and locate them on either side of the plate. Tolle’s fastball on the other hand comes at a much closer release point than Lester’s or Steele’s. Couple that with a slider that will strike hitters out looking for the fast ball, and you’ve got a really good pitcher.
Whoever gets Tolle will get should be pleasantly surprised as he could be a really good starter in the MLB eventually and for a long time.
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