Payton Tolle finishes third in AL Rookie of the Year vote behind winner Kevin McGonigle
Payton Tolle was not named the American League Rookie of the Year for 2026 tonight. This was expected. Tolle was great, of course. He was the first Red Sox pitcher under the age of 24 since Dennis Eckersley to make at least 4 starts of at least 6 innings without allowing a single run. He […]
MILWAUKEE, WI - October 23, 2026: Despite Payton Tolle's impressive performance, he did not win the American League Rookie of the Year award for 2026. Tolle, a Boston Red Sox pitcher, made headlines for being the first Red Sox pitcher under 24 to make at least 4 starts of 6 innings each without allowing a run. He also had the highest strikeout rate (above 28%) and lowest walk rate (below 7%) among all rookies while throwing a minimum of 140 innings.
However, Kevin McGonigle, a younger pitcher, surpassed Tolle with the best bWAR in the entire league, outperforming even Yordan Alvarez and Bobby Witt, Jr. The American League's determination of the Rookie of the Year was almost a formality, given McGonigle's dominance. Tolle's pitching staff dominated him in five games against the Red Sox, resulting in a third-lowest OPS he has posted against any team.
While it's speculated that McGonigle might have been platooned against a tough lefty, the Red Sox should have seen an opportunity to face Tolle-McGonigle at some point in the upcoming season.
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