PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Payton Tolle is impossible to miss. Standing at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, the big left-hander cuts an imposing figure whether he’s on the mound or just milling about in the dugout with teammates before a game.

But while Tolle is the type of person who naturally commands attention, the first-year professional almost had to pinch himself when he looked around the field prior to this month’s Spring Breakout prospect showcase.

“These guys are studs,” Tolle said of the other Red Sox prospects.

Drafted in the second round of the 2024 MLB Draft, Tolle is at the forefront of a burgeoning wave of young talent working its way through the Red Sox system. Though the “Big Three” of Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer command the headlines, they aren’t the only ones responsible for Boston earning its first-ever No. 1 preseason farm system ranking from Baseball America.

If this spring has been any indication, all the years of investment into the club’s future could be on the verge of paying off.

A wave of new arms

The biggest difference with the Red Sox farm system today compared to last spring is the sheer volume of new pitching talent. Developing a sustainable pitching pipeline was arguably Craig Breslow’s top priority upon his hire in late 2023, and after one season the new chief baseball officer is already getting results.

The most obvious additions have come via trade. Last winter Breslow acquired three pitchers in exchange for embattled outfielder Alex Verdugo. One of those was Greg Weissert, who has proven himself a useful big league bullpen weapon. Another was Richard Fitts, who has quickly established himself as one of the club’s top prospects and who is expected to open the season in the big league rotation.

Breslow also swapped reliever John Schreiber for prospect David Sandlin, who hit 101 mph in an offseason workout and who now ranks as the club’s No. 9 prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

But the influx of talent goes much deeper than that.

Last summer the Red Sox drafted 14 pitchers, most of whom have spent the majority of their time since working out in Fort Myers.

Red Sox two-way prospect Conrad Cason wants to do it all

“I think that was a really good first step and then had them kind of hit the ground running once spring training rolled around,” said Brian Abraham, Boston’s senior director of player development. “A lot of exciting young arms and I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do this year.”

Tolle is the most prominent of the club’s new draftees, and beyond just boasting pure talent, Tolle’s massive frame allows him to release the ball much closer to the plate than your average pitcher, allowing his mid-to-high 90s velocity to play even faster.

He’s not the only one to watch.

Conrad Cason, the club’s eighth-round pick, is attempting to become the first two-way player in modern Red Sox history. Fifth-round pick Brandon Clarke looks like he could quickly make a name for himself as well. The 21-year-old lefty quietly delivered one of the most eye-opening performances of the Spring Breakout game, nearly touching 100 mph in his first game as a professional against non-Red Sox players.

Then the following day during the Futures at Fenway South showcase at JetBlue Park, Clarke was arguably upstaged by Juan Valera, an 18-year-old right-hander and a 2023 international amateur signee who repeatedly hit 100 mph while ripping off some wildly impressive offspeed pitches.

Imagine what kind of hype an American high school senior would get if he showed off that kind of stuff? We’d be talking about a potential first-round pick.

Even guys who have been around longer are starting to show measurable progress. Hunter Dobbins, arguably the club’s most MLB-ready starting pitcher prospect after Fitts, is now consistently working in the high-90s and has topped out at 99 mph. Connelly Early, Boston’s 2023 fifth-round pick, started the Spring Breakout game and showed off both improved velocity and better secondary offerings. There are dozens of others like them as well.

Collectively the Red Sox boast a collection of arms in the minors unlike anything they’ve had in years, and after decades of failing to consistently develop MLB-caliber pitchers, the club may soon have the pipeline it’s long dreamed of.

Reinforcements coming

One thing the Red Sox have always excelled at is developing position players, and the emergence of Anthony, Campbell and Mayer is proof the club hasn’t lost its touch.

But for anyone worried there might not be as much coming behind them, recent first-round pick Mikey Romero’s performance this spring should allay any concern.

After battling through injury for much of his first two years as a professional, the 20-year-old Romero is finally healthy and has been putting on a show all spring. The 2022 first-rounder stood out in both prospect showcases, going 2 for 4 with a double in the Spring Breakout game before hitting a towering home run to dead center at JetBlue Park the following day, and he drew praise from Alex Cora for his play as a sub for the big league team.

Finally healthy, former Red Sox first-round pick shining at spring training

“I feel like I knew I always had it in me, it was a just matter of when I finally got healthy again,” Romero said. “I think God’s been good to me and I’ve been healthy thankfully. Just continuing to stay on top of my health is going to be the biggest thing.”

Beyond Romero, the Red Sox have a deep pool of recent international standouts, including 19-year-old shortstop Franklin Arias (MLB Pipeline No. 75 overall), fellow shortstop Yoeilin Cespedes, hulking 18-year-old slugger Justin Gonzales and outfielders Jhostynxon Garcia and Miguel Bleis.

Bleis in particular has a lot at stake this year. Now two seasons removed from a dominant showing in the Florida Complex League that earned him comparisons to Ronald Acuña Jr., the 21-year-old outfielder is looking to put his injury setbacks behind him and improve his swing decisions, a flaw in his game he believes has so far held him back.

“Working on those swing decisions is something that’s really going to help me show the kind of player that I am and what I bring to the table,” Bleis said via interpreter Daveson Perez. “With the favor of God, I’m going to be able to show people who I am, a five-tool player that can do a lot of different things on the baseball field.”

The fact that the Red Sox boast this level of depth and quality despite trading first-round picks Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery and Nick Yorke over the past year speaks volumes. The club’s prospects won’t all pan out, but it’s clear at this point the Red Sox are among the best-positioned franchises in the sport to not just compete this season, but for many years to come.