Remember the unexpected and instinctive leap Payton Tolle took on a ground ball that was nowhere near him back in June? Or his little dance in the dugout after Trevor Story’s homer in May? The rookie left-hander doesn’t take an off day when it comes to good vibes. But back in college, Tolle was not this good at baseball till his mother, Jina, pointed out that he was not playing with “joy.” From there, things changed.

In a recent interview with MLB.com, Tolle not only talked about the reason why he brings such energy on the field, but also revealed something about a minute detail on his glove.

On Payton Tolle’s glove, he has sewn a message from his mother in red: “You’re so pretty.” Choking on his own voice, Tolle said, “It’s like I hear it,” in a broken voice as he tried to fight back his emotions, while taking off the cap and putting his hand behind his head.

Trying to hide the tears beneath his cap as the camera pointed directly at him behind the grandstands at Fenway Park, Tolle shared the unknown story:

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“Every game throughout high school, I’d always know Mom was there because she’d yell out, ‘You’re so pretty,’” Tolle revealed in a recent interview with MLB. “It was meant to embarrass me for a long time, but I quickly realized it was her way of showing that she loved me.”

Jina Tolle died in 2024 after an eight-year battle with colon cancer. But her zeal for life and love for baseball has always been evident.

“Today’s a great day to be a bada–, go out there and kick a–. I kick cancer’s a–, so you can go out there and kick theirs,” Tolle recalled his mother’s words, and remembered how his mother always wanted to share a smile with at least one in a day, and wish them a “good day.”

The 23-year-old mentioned how she used to drive for almost 3 hours to watch him and his brother, Charlie, play baseball, all while battling cancer. And it was not just the Tolle brothers.

On May 9, 2026, on his mother’s 2-year death anniversary, who would’ve turned 50 in November, Tolle posted a photo of Jina in the hospital, as she held her right hand high in “🤟” – the universal ‘I Love You’ gesture that Tolle follows after his every outing, like talking to his mother high up above. Among 200 comments from that post, one reminded everyone how kind and loving Jina was.

“Your mom. Literally the best. She always took time to text me how proud she was of Grear or Lucy whichever kid of mine she was watching play ball. I always knew if my kid hit the field or court, they’d give it their all and I always knew I’d get a text from your mom…,” read the comment.

With the inscribed phrase on his glove, it reminds him of her everytime he looks at it. It reminds him that a bad performance on the field doesn’t necessarily diminish his value beyond baseball. 

Jina refused to let her illness define her and still went out of her way to make other people smile. That outlook stayed with Payton, but so did something more personal: the way his mother loved to tease him.

That same outlook now follows Payton throughout his professional career. And he stays humble even after having back-to-back breakthrough seasons.

Payton John Tolle made his MLB debut in 2025 as a starter but was later shifted to relief duties. This year, the 23-year-old has had 21 starts with a 3.08 ERA, 134 Ks, and an 8-6 record. Even after going toe-to-toe with Cy-Young Winner Paul Skenes in his debut, Payton stayed humble, and that’s because of his mother.

“You still s–k,” Jina used to humble him even after his best outings. And that’s why he never forgets to honor his mother before every game, not just with the glove.

Whether he is part of the rotation or not, Tolle runs up to center field and has a conversation with his mother. It’s more than just a routine. On Mother’s Day this year, we all saw Payton giving special tribute to his Jina.

He wore his pant legs near his knees showing his pink socks on May 10 against the Tampa Bay Ray. While Boston Red Sox lost the game 4-1, Tolle admitted that week to be a tough one for him.

Payton Tolle’s mother couldn’t even watch her son’s big league pick, as she passed away just two months before the Red Sox made him their 50th overall draft pick.

But the support Payton received had always been part of the Tolle family.

How the Tolle family stayed close through it all

Long before Payton Tolle reached professional baseball, his mother, Jina, shaped his approach to the game. She was a regular presence at his childhood games and even cared for his teammates, who called her “Momma.” When Payton became frustrated by bad pitches or swings, Jina reminded him not to lose sight of why he loved baseball in the first place.

“Show ’em why people love the game of baseball,” she used to say.

As Jina’s battle with stage IV colon cancer progressed, Payton became more intentional about spending time with her. While playing at TCU, he made it a priority to be with his mother whenever he returned home. He later said her illness strengthened their bond and made them more open about showing their love for each other.

“Whenever I went home, it was just, ‘Alright, I’m going to hang out with Mom for a bit,’” Tolle recalled. “[Her cancer] really just amplified the love that we have for each other and the ways we were showing that.”

Jina showed that love by continuing to be present, even as cancer weakened her.

That same habit of showing up extended across the Tolle family. His father, Chad, spent countless hours playing catch and throwing batting practice to Payton and Charlie, while the family made time to reconnect whenever baseball pulled them apart.

“We are tight, and we love each other a lot. If a couple of days go by and I’m out baseballing or we’re split up, we’ll make sure to have dinner on the table and talk and stuff like that.” Peyton said back in 2019.

When Jina’s cancer returned, Payton helped however he could, from doing chores and getting groceries to looking after Charlie.

“She doesn’t feel well some days; I’ll pick up the house for her. Kind of small stuff like that.”

Chad stayed closely involved in both sons’ baseball lives, spending years working with them on the field and continuing to throw batting practice to Charlie even after Payton turned pro. After Jina’s death, Payton, Charlie, and Chad leaned on one another through the loss.

“It was definitely a really hard experience for all of us, and we knew that we had each other. We were all going through it together. It was difficult, but we had each other.”

This is because Jina had always taught them to face difficult moments with the right mindset.

Jina Tolle’s ‘Tigger’ philosophy still guides Payton Tolle

“She was always, ‘Life gives you the crappiest circumstances. You can be a Tigger about it, or you can be an Eeyore. It’s simple,’” the Red Sox rookie said in the interview. 

Tigger and Eeyore are famous animal characters from A.A. Milne’s classic Winnie-the-Pooh stories. The former is a tiger, often bouncing on his tail, and is happy and loud. He thinks he can do anything. The latter is a stuffed donkey who is just the opposite – calm, slow, and more often than not, sad. 

Tolle’s mom taught him how to be brave despite adversity. But more than that, she taught him to be happy. And that is one of the most visible things about the left-hander.

Even on days he is not pitching, Tolle is spotted in high spirits and cheering for his team because “you don’t take an off day in terms of good vibes,” Tolle exclaimed.

And his teammates love him for that.

Players like Connenly Early would make time to write some positive words in his social media posts, particularly to support him after the loss of his mother. 

However, Jina’s positivity came with a colorful vocabulary of its own. 

“Probably my favorite quote that my mom would say is like, ‘I love Jesus, but I cuss a little bit.’” 

Payton credited her for much of the family’s grit, work ethic, and values. That’s why Payton Tolle never misses a chance to show a little bit of who his mother was. That’s why even his team makes sure to honor Jina.

After his debut game, the team left adorned an empty seat with flowers where his family sat to mark her presence in the ballpark. And the bond in the family was clearly visible that day, as Payton hugged his dad and brother, wiping tears. Following his mother’s motivation, Payton Tolle never stopped, coming on the mound just a little over a week after his mother passed away.

On May 17, Tolley had an all-time night with TCU Baseball team vs West Virginia, recording 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, and 11 Ks. As the Lupton Stadium gave him a standing ovation, the then-college baseball starter talked to his mother with “🤟,” looking overwhelmed in emotions. And this ritual still follows, not just with the hand gesture.

After every game, he sends a text message to his mom’s number, along with a lineup of others. But the thread with his mother is special, as he writes:

“a string of cuss words and then ‘I love you, I miss you,’” Tolle shared in the interview with MLB.

The Boston Red Sox are 68-59, 3rd in the AL East. And they are 5.5 games ahead in the playoff race. Whether they can win the championship remains to be seen. But regardless, Tolle will continue to carry his mother’s phrase: “You’re a hack still.”