​There’s clearly something about a mustache in this story. Right now, the young, mustachioed southpaw Payton Tolle is making Boston Red Sox history in a way that hasn’t been done since a young Dennis Eckersley wore a similar look on his face. The history Tolle is echoing stretches back to 1978. The crucial detail is that this analysis focuses on a pitcher who hasn’t yet turned 24. In that age range, Tolle is the first Red Sox pitcher since Eckersley that year to post at least four starts of 6.0 or more innings while permitting zero earned runs in a single season. That was the feat he achieved on Tuesday night against the White Sox, when he yielded only two hits and a walk across six scoreless frames while striking out six. And as many have surely noticed, there’s plenty of season left for Tolle to add to that total.
A commenter on the statistical post summed it up: “Future. Ace.” Tolle is starting to present a case for being an ace right now. The Red Sox have other strong pitchers, so he doesn’t have to be perfect every time. He just needs to be himself, which has worked out exceptionally well so far in his major league career. The mustache, the throwback vibe, it all seems to suit him just fine. He’s not a sculpted athlete; he’s a pitcher who gets outs, and he’s doing it at a rate that Boston hasn’t seen from someone so young in a long time. Tolle’s future is bright, but his present is compelling as well.