Boston Red Sox

“Thank you for taking the lessons of your Swanson father to heart, and the mustache is looking great.”

It’s unclear if Red Sox southpaw Payton Tolle shares the same affinity for breakfast food, woodworking, and Lil Sebastian as Ron Swanson.

But the resemblance between the affable Tolle and Swanson — the rugged, mustachioed fan favorite from the hit comedy series “Parks and Recreation” — is pretty uncanny, given the Red Sox starter’s own impressive mustache and folksy demeanor.​

It’s a comparison that’s not lost on Nick Offerman, who played Swanson across the show’s seven-season run.

Be it Tolle’s hard-throwing arsenal of pitches, stark resemblance to Swanson, or his antics on the field — push-ups on the mound or giving hugs on the basepaths — he has a fan in Offerman, who is a lifelong supporter of the Chicago Cubs.

​During an appearance on “The Joy of Baseball” podcast with hosts Molly Knight and Joe Posnanski, Offerman saluted Tolle for bringing plenty of joy back to baseball in his first full season in the big leagues.

“Thank you for the joy you bring, the open-mindedness and curiosity and heart and just giggles that you bring to your work,” Offerman said as part of a message to Tolle. “I taught you well, my son. … Thank you for taking the lessons of your Swanson father to heart, and the mustache is looking great.”

Offerman admitted that he’s yet to meet Tolle in person, but said he’s looking forward to the opportunity at some point next season.

“When I do, I hope that he’ll hold me in his arms, like a tiny mail-order bride,” Offerman said of Tolle, who stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs 250 pounds.

Conor Ryan

Sports Writer

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.

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