Payton Tolle hasn’t just brought electric stuff to the Red Sox. He’s brought a mustache that already belongs in the franchise’s lore.
The latest wave of buzz around Tolle started with Nick Offerman, who appeared on “The Joy of Baseball” podcast and made it clear he’s a fan of the left-hander’s game and his look. Offerman, the Chicago Cubs fan, actor and comedian best known for playing Ron Swanson on Parks and Rec, said Tolle could be his son and took full credit for the facial hair. Tolle answered on social media with, "Come to my arms papa," and that may be the most exciting Red Sox news of the offseason, so far.
If the resemblance hadn’t hit you yet, it probably will now. Put Tolle and Offerman side by side, and the mustaches are doing a lot of the heavy lifting.
That kind of upper-lip swagger fits Boston. Facial hair has long been part of the Red Sox identity, and Tolle is sliding into that tradition with ease.
He’s also got the kind of season that makes the look work: 9-6, a 3.03 ERA and 171 strikeouts this year. High-A Greenville general manager Eric Jarinko told me last year that Tolle was the most impressive pitcher he’d ever seen, and one of the coolest, most down-to-earth guys too.
Pedro Martinez called Tolle "a bully," and he looks like he belongs in this franchise’s character-driven history.
So with Tolle carrying the torch, it’s a good time to revisit some of the most iconic mustaches ever seen in a Red Sox uniform.
Luis Tiant still sets the standard. El Tiante gets the top spot, and not just because of the handlebar.
He wore No. 23, the number I was going to wear before I was traded from the Red Sox, and I even had to ask for his blessing. His mustache matched a one-of-a-kind windup, and he won 20 or more games three times in Boston.
Dwight Evans belongs near the top, too. "Dewey" spent 1972 to 1990 in Boston, and his mustache came into its own in the '80s as he emerged as one of the American League’s best hitters. He later served as a special advisor to the general manager and was always around spring training when I was there, and he was a super nice, soft-spoken guy.
Wade Boggs made the list for the lore as much as the look. I grew up a Yankee fan, so I remember him clean-shaven in pinstripes, but the Boston version of Boggs came with a different reputation and a much better mustache story. The allegations about 64 beers on a flight and fried chicken before every game are part of that larger legend.
Jerry Remy’s mustache traveled with him from second base to the NESN booth. RemDawg was part of the NESN crew, and he deserves his place here.
Dennis Eckersley is another easy choice. He went 20-8 with a 2.99 ERA in his first Boston season before reinventing himself as a dominant closer on the way to Cooperstown. He also spent time broadcasting for NESN, and he’s deeply missed in the booth.
Jim Rice brought the power and kept the mustache all the way through it. He hit 382 homers, won the 1978 AL MVP and never gave up the look.
Alex Bregman got a modern spot on the list thanks to one of the more memorable moments in recent Red Sox pop culture. His Tom Selleck-style mustache lasted until June 6, 2025, when he shaved it between innings against the Yankees to try to spark a rally. It didn’t work, but the moment stuck.
Garrett Richards also earned a place here. He grew his mustache in 2020 when the pandemic shut down camp, and he told WEEI, "My wife absolutely hates it, bless her heart." A Boston radio show even challenged him to curl the ends up Rollie Fingers-style.
Bill Buckner rounds out the list, and this isn’t meant as a slight. He was too good a player to be reduced to one grounder. Buckner finished with 2,715 hits and a 1980 batting title, and the mustache deserves better than being treated like a footnote.
Honorable mentions go to Rod Beck’s fu manchu, Tony Armas’ afro-and-mustache combo and Jody Reed, whose lip helped start that 2014 list in the first place.
The beard era of 2013 took over Boston’s upper lip for a while, but mustaches are creeping back. Tolle’s already one of the best in baseball, and the Red Sox have never been short on characters to match the facial hair. If he keeps this up, he could be a face of the franchise for years, mustache included.
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