‘Ask Me About My Jesus’: Boston Red Sox Pitcher Shines Faith On and Off the Field

Published: March 2, 2026

By Mallory Mattingly

As Boston Red Sox pitcher Payton Tolle competes for a starting spot for the upcoming season, he keeps his faith at the forefront.

“It’s been a big part of my baseball career,” the athlete told His Huddle in 2024. “I have always tried to surround myself with people that are like-minded in my faith, and that has played a role in where I have gone as well. Always trusting God and knowing He has a plan has put me in the best spots for me.”

Tolle grew up in church, but when he got to college, he began to make his faith his own.

“My faith has changed over the years,” he continued. “When I got to college, I finally put my faith first and tried to make it my own.”

As Tolle finished his final season at Texas Christian University (TCU), he lost his mother, Jina, in a battle with cancer. Now, he hopes to live each day just as his mother did.

“I think I just hope my platform can give others hope,” the pitcher shared. “I have been through some hard things during the past few years, and I want to show people that by trusting God, you can make it through and have a good attitude. I feel like I have a unique opportunity to show others the love of Jesus with the platform He has blessed me with.”

In January, Tolle was baptized. He shared the moment on his social media page, which included a sequence of photos.

“Ask me about my Jesus,” he captioned the post.

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He takes his faith onto the field with a glove that has Matthew 5:16 stitched onto it. The verse reads, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

Tolle made his MLB Debut last August with the Red Sox, and now he’s competing for a spot as Boston’s No. 5 starter.

“I like to view it as a competition, just because that’s how we’re going to make each other better,” the pitcher told MassLive.com, “whether that’s with Kutter [Crawford] or Connelly [Early] or [Patrick] Sandoval, whoever it is, we’re all fighting for that fifth spot and in the long run, that’s going to make us better.

“Everybody wants to be part of a starting five, so I’ll just try to do what I can, day after day. It’s a process that’s fun to be part of and I think that’s what makes everybody better,” he added.

It’s incredible to see how Tolle lets his faith guide him, both on and off the field.

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