The Boston Red Sox pitching staff didn't skip a beat in the absence of 2025 American League Cy Young Award runner-up Garrett Crochet, who missed much of the regular season with left shoulder inflammation and a LAT strain, finishing the year with a 3.54 ERA, the third-lowest in baseball. They did so, in part, because rookie left-hander Payton Tolle stepped up and established himself as one of the best young arms in the sport. 

After being recalled from Triple-A Worcester on April 23, Tolle made 26 starts for the Red Sox, posting a 3.03 ERA, the fifth-lowest mark among American League rookie starters and seventh-lowest in baseball. Tolle also finished in the top five among American League rookie starters in strikeouts per nine innings (10.35, 3rd), walks per nine innings (2.42, 4th), home runs per nine innings (0.91, 4th), WHIP (1.10, T-2nd), fielding independent pitching (3.04, 1st) and fWAR (4.1, 2nd). 

Thanks to his impressive regular season performance, the 23-year-old got the start for Boston in Game 1 of the Wild Card round series against the New York Yankees, where, according to J.P. Long on Twitter/X, he became the youngest pitcher to start Game 1 or Game 2 of a postseason series for the Red Sox since Babe Ruth got the start in Game 1 of the 1918 World Series. 

However, that wasn't enough to earn Tolle recognition from his peers, as the MLB Players' Association announced the finalists for the Players' Choice Awards, and the 23-year-old left-hander was noticeably absent from the American League's Most Outstanding Rookie category. 

Instead, a group of players voted Cleveland Guardians starter Parker Messick, Detroit Tigers shortstop Kevin McGonigle, and Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami as the award's finalists. 

McGonigle is the likely American League Rookie of the Year winner after an incredible rookie campaign in Detroit. In 156 games, the 21-year-old hit .278/.376/.430/.806 with 18 home runs and 28 doubles, driving in 78 runs. McGonigle led all qualified American League rookies with a 5.1 fWAR. 

The 25-year-old Messick had an incredible season for the American League Central-winning Guardians, posting a 2.56 ERA in 32 starts, the lowest among all American League rookie starters and the third-lowest mark among 22 qualified American League starters. 

Murakami is an interesting third finalist. The 26-year-old undoubtedly had an incredible rookie campaign on the South Side of Chicago after signing a two-year, $34-million deal with the White Sox, coming over from Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. In 127 games, Murakami hit .207/.347/.478/.825 with 35 home runs, leading all rookie hitters.

It will be interesting to see whether the BBWAA writers voting on the Rookie of the Year Awards feel the same way and give Murakami the edge over Tolle. 

The MLB Players' Choice Award winners will be announced during the week of Oct. 26. 

With the Red Sox officially in offseason mode, Zach Coe and David Azer are back on the 'Entering Kenmore' Podcast discussing how close Boston is to winning a World Series, offseason needs, and whether or not the 2026 season was successful. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts, or in the YouTube player below: