August 5, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Minor Notes: Tolle takes over as top prospect, tabbed for promotion
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August rankings: Anthony and Mayer graduate, draftees debut
Pomp and circumstance played over last week's release of the updated top 60 as valedictorian and salutatorian Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer officially walked off the prospect stage as fully graduated major leaguers. Anthony, recognized as the consensus top prospect in the game in 2025, had taken over the top spot in the system back in November 2023. Mayer had been the top prospect for the 14 months before that. In their place, Payton Tolle (pictured) has emerged atop the SoxProspects.com board. Boston's second pick in the 2024 draft has quickly risen in the rankings as part of a dominant debut season. After allowing six runs in 1 2/3 innings in his inauspicious professional debut on April 8, Tolle has a 2.28 ERA across 75 frames between High-A Greenville and Double-A Portland. Over 76 2/3 total innings, he has struck out 116 and walked only 21.
Trivia: Who was the last pitcher ranked at #1 in the system? Answer at the bottom of the "Where are they now?" section.
Eight members of the 2025 draft class also entered the rankings, highlighted by 15th-overall pick Kyson Witherspoon, who enters the list in the fourth spot. Witherspoon is expected to make his professional debut in 2026. Additional draftees (with their pre-deadline rank):
- Marcus Phillips (Competitive Balance-A pick) at 15
- Anthony Eyanson (3rd round) at 16
- Henry Godbout (Competitive Balance-2) at 25
- Mason White (4th round) at 40
- Christian Foutch (5th round) at 47
- Barrett Morgan (11th round) at 51
- Myles Patton (7th round) at 55
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Deadline deals add depth
While the trading deadline did not feature the blockbuster deal for a rotation stalwart or mashing first baseman that some may have hoped for, Boston did supplement its pitching staff with a pair of moves. The first was the acquisition of left-handed reliever Steven Matz from the Cardinals in exchange for Worcester infielder Blaze Jordan. Jordan had been drafted back in 2021 as a third-round pick, getting an overslot bonus of $1.75 million. He had achieved a bit more pre-draft fame than a typical third-round pick because of his viral YouTube videos that showcased his power. He was in the midst of a major bounce-back campaign in 2025, hitting .308/.377/.495 in 88 games between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester after having stagnated a bit the previous season and a half with the Sea Dogs. He was ranked 19th in the system at the time of the trade.
Closer to the deadline bell, Boston picked up right-hander Dustin May from the Dodgers, with James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard headed to the West Coast. Tibbs was a short-lived member of the organization, as the 2024 first-round pick of the Giants had been part of the package for Rafael Devers. Promoted to Double-A upon joining the organization, Tibbs slumped a bit with the Sea Dogs, hitting .207/.319/.267 in 138 plate appearances. Ehrhard was a fourth-round pick of the Sox in 2024 out of Oklahoma State. He played primarily in the corner outfield spots but did also see some playing time in center. Ehrhard was excellent with Greenville, hitting .342/.471/.459 in 31 games before a promotion on May 19. He hit .227/.305/.412 in 58 Double-A contests. Tibbs and Ehrhard were ranked 10th and 30th in the system, respectively.
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Trio of top-20 prospects highlight post-deadline promotions
With the dust settled from the trade deadline, there were a few notable players moving up the ladder within the system. Payton Tolle, whose promotion will become official on Wednesday due to some roster machinations, will join Triple-A Worcester. The 22-year-old lefty made short work of the Eastern League, allowing just five earned runs in 27 innings across six appearances (a 1.67 ERA), allowing just 13 hits and striking out 37 batters against seven walks. He will be joining infielder Mikey Romero with the WooSox. Romero, Boston's first-round pick in 2022, hit .254/.315/440 in 66 games with Portland, with 18 doubles and 8 home runs. After an 0-for10 start to his Triple-A career, Romero blasted two homers in Sunday's win. Moving up to Portland will be outfielder Miguel Bleis. Bleis, who burst on the scene with an outstanding 2022 in the Florida Complex League, was the talk of spring training back in 2023. He has continued to show excellent defense, some power, and patience at the plate, but the consistency of his contact quality has limited his overall production. An issue with pop-ups has been a particular struggle with the 21-year-old, who hit .226/.314/.422 with the Drive. Romero is currently the 10th-ranked prospect in the system, and Bleis checks in at #12.
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Podcast
Chris and Ian checked in on Sunday with Episode #376, recapping the trade deadline and taking a deep dive into the moves the Red Sox did (and didn’t) make. They also discussed internal options who could help the major league club down the stretch.
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Where are they now?
A few familiar names were on the move at and after the deadline:
- Right-handed pitcher Brian Van Belle was traded by Cincinnati to Tampa Bay as part of the deal that brought former Boston hurler Zack Littell to the Queen City. Van Belle was unselected in the truncated 2020 COVID draft and had been a solid contributor during his time climbing the ladder in the Boston system. He was selected to the major league roster in June but did not appear in a game before getting designated for assignment and traded to the Reds.
- Zach Penrod has been designated for assignment by the Dodgers. He had been traded to Los Angeles in mid-June for cash considerations during the same 40-man roster crunch that cost Van Belle his spot. Penrod appeared in seven major league games for the Red Sox in 2024, allowing one earned run in four innings.
- Veteran reliever Ryan Pressly was released by the Cubs after being designated for assignment. Originally a Boston draftee out of high school back in 2007, Pressly was left unprotected in the 2012 Rule 5 draft and was ultimately selected by Minnesota. He turned into a very effective major leaguer, appearing in 667 games to date and making the All-Star team in 2019 and 2021 while a member of the Houston Astros.
Answer: Jay Groome was ranked #1 from October 2017 until May 2018.
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Players of the Week July 28 - August 3:
Jhostynxon Garcia, OF Worcester Red Sox
6 G, .417/.462/1.083, 10-24, 8 R 4 2B, 4 HR, 13 RBI
Garcia won International League Player of the Week for his work against the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs. The 22-year-old outfielder had four multi-hit games, blasting four homers, including one in each of the last three games of the series. He now has 18 round-trippers on the year, leading the organization. Garcia drove in 13 runs on the week and is the fifth-ranked prospect in the system. Honorable mention for Max Ferguson, who hit .438/.571/1.000 in four games on his way to Eastern League Player of the Week honors.
Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP, Salem Red Sox
1 GS, 5 2/3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 8 K
Fajardo continued his stretch of dominance with a near-perfect effort against the Lynchburg Hillcats. He allowed just one baserunner over 5 2/3 scoreless innings and has allowed just one run in 15 innings across his last four outings. Fajardo, acquired before the season from the White Sox for Cam Booser, has reached a new high at #18 in the rankings. He was also named Carolina League Pitcher of the Week.
Photo Credit: Payton Tolle by Kelly O'Connor