Here’s how Payton Tolle takes the next step

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