American Association Daily provides insights, features, and recaps of the action from around the American Association of Professional Baseball League, as well as player and coaching profiles and transactions. In today’s edition, Rob Pannier starts a “Where Are They Now Segment,” looking at the success of former Chicago Dogs infielder Payton Eeles in his first season in affiliate ball with the Minnesota Twins organization.  

Payton Eels – Instant Office in a Can

It’s a beautiful Friday night in St. Paul, Minnesota. The temperature at game time was a cool, comfortable 75 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. The hometown St. Paul Saints, the AAA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins twice found themselves trailing against the Gwinnett Stripers, AAA team of the Braves, only to battle back to tie the score and now they held a four-run lead entering the bottom of the eighth.

St. Paul wanted to put this game away as Gwinnett had threatened all night, but had not been able to put together a huge rally since scoring three in the second. It seemed like a sizeable lead, but the team clearly wanted to put some distance between themselves and the Stripers.

The first batter of the frame was a man who many had ignored. College coaches, Major League scouts, and most partner league teams had not seen a lot to admire in the 5-7, 180 pound infielder. Yet, with less than 100 games of professional experience under his belt, here stood Payton Eeles (pronounced ‘Eels’) looking to continue what may be the most impressive Cinderella story that the baseball world has seen in quite some time.

Where Everyone Will Know His Name

Friday night was an impressive moment for Payton Eeles. It was his second game at the AAA-level, and he was already impressing the Minnesota Twins organization. In his first game, Eeles went 1-2 with a walk, and here he stood in his seventh plate appearance at the AAA-level. Eeles had already had a hit, a double, in two official ABs on Friday, plus he walked and scored a run earlier in the contest.

Despite being seven inches shorter than the average player at the Major League level, Eeles was standing tall, and here he was looking to get a rally started to help put this game away.

It did not take long as the left fielder for that day was hit by the second pitch he saw. He then stole second before teammate Anthony Prato walked. That brought Edouard Julien to the plate, who blasted a three-run shot over the right-center field wall, and this game, as they say, was all but over.

Two games at the AAA-level and Eeles was already boasting a .500 batting average (2-4) with a walk and two hit by pitches. The 24-year-old seemed like a natural, and it seemed clear that the Twins were immediately reaping the benefits of their high-round draft pick. The problem was that Eeles was not a high rough draft pick. In fact, he was not selected at all. Instead, he took the partner league route to affiliate ball and has quickly proven that all those who ignored the second-year pro are doing so at their own peril.

Why Didn’t They Like This Guy?

That Payton Eeles was ignored at the 2023 draft was not surprising. He is the Rodney Dangerfield of the baseball world, never seeming to find any respect, despite his success on the field. Truthfully, it is one of his primary driving forces.

“I want to be remembered as someone who was told many times that ‘No, you’re not good enough,’ but always in the back of my head I know, I am going to prove you wrong. So, that is why I am still playing. After I was not drafted, I knew that what they were telling me had not been proven to me. It’s not the case that I am not good enough. I always knew that I could make it, so I kept grinding and finally got that call and now I am just going out there and trying to do the best with the abilities that God has given to me, because I am playing for Him at the end of the day.”

Payton starred at Allatoona High School, playing varsity all four seasons while posting a .451 batting average. He was named to the Georgia Class 6A First Team All-Star Team and was a two-time all-region first team selection, but that did not draw any attention from Division-I schools. In fact, he only had one Division-II offer, which came from Cedarville University (Cedarville, OH).

The infielder dominated from the moment he stepped onto a college diamond, hitting .429 in 45 games his freshman season. Covid wiped out much of his sophomore campaign, as he played in 11 games, hitting .396 before the season was shut down. A year later, Payton hit .344 with 22 stolen bases in 40 games, and closed out his time at Cedarville in 2022, hitting .371 in 47 games with a single-season high 37 stolen bases.

Because of Covid, Payton had a year of eligibility remaining and he was finally able to get the Division-I offer, heading for Coastal Carolina in 2023.  Coastal Carolina was a golden opportunity for Payton. Not only could he demonstrate that he could hit top tier talent, but he got to play for legendary coach Gary Gilmore. Eeles made the most of it, hitting .374 in 63 games while stealing 42 bases.

We’re Going to Chicago!

The infielder had been ignored by Major League teams the previous two seasons, but the success in his fifth season seemed like it would result in him being drafted. Sadly, that was not the case. Despite several scouts expressing interest, Payton slid through the draft without being selected. Most would have thought that this was the end, but Eeles was not done.

“Gary Gilmore, after I didn’t get drafted, he had a contact with (former Chicago Dogs Manager) Butch Hobson and Coach Gilmore called him and was telling him about me and he was like ‘Butch, you’re going to love this guy. I love this guy. He’s going to be your Pete Rose type of player.’ That’s what they called me and so I went there and Butch was awesome. He was a believer in me since I got there.”

Believe in Eeles is exactly what Hobson did. Payton was installed into the final spot in the order and it took a little time for him to get going. However, this was one of the great benefits that the infielder saw in beginning his career in the American Association.

“I was able to go into the American Association right away without worrying about another guy behind me bumping me out of the lineup. Butch was a big believer in me, so he gave me time to figure things out. Who knows if I had gotten picked up by a team, especially because I was older, how much time they would have given me to figure things out. So, once I fine-tuned those elements in my game, things have just taken off from there.”

His success was not instantaneous. Payton went hitless in three of his first five games with the Dogs and was hitting .200 through his first six contests.  There were clearly some adjustments that had to be made.

“It was definitely a challenge. There are a lot of experienced pitchers in the league. They may not have the stuff of a lot of guys we see here (in Cedar Rapids) or at the college level, they may not throw 96, 97 mph but they would be low 90s and they could spot up any off-speed pitch anytime they wanted to. So, for me, that was almost tougher because, in college, we would face guys throwing hard, but they were just throwing it; they were not trying to pitch. Most of them were just relying on stuff. That was not the case in the American Association.”

The great thing was that the team was all in on Payton, as several within the organization helped him to adjust to the professional game.

“They were great, especially the players. We had a player named Josh Altmann and he was just a leader by how he conducted himself on the field. He showed me around the pro game. A lot of guys like Ryan Lidge, Tyler Palm, and Nick Green were great help. So, was Brian Schlitter. We had a lot of experienced players and they and the coaches gave me little tips, whether it was on or off the field, so that I could get better and make the right adjustments.”

The slow start did not deter Payton. Soon he was catching fire as a string of four straight games with two hits moved his average to .308, and he was held hitless just four times over the remaining 34 games. The average continually rose as the infielder became a catalyst for the offense, moving to the leadoff spot. The team responded to his insertion into the lineup.

“When I first got there, I was hitting nine-hole, bottom of the lineup, so I was just trying to do whatever I could. At the time that I got there I think we were kind of around the .500 mark. I think when I got there, I was just playing the game the way I always did. That gritty mentality. That just kind of helped to create a spark and once I got to the top of the lineup I was just trying to get on base and create chaos.”

The Dogs rallied to finish tied for the top spot in the East Division. Eeles led the way, hitting. 311 with 29 runs scored and 20 RBI in 39 games. He also stole 13 bases and finished with a .463 on-base percentage. At the top of the batting order, Eeles was instant offense in a can, recording hits in each of his first five playoff games as the Dogs made it to the championship series. He finished with a .368 and a .480 on-base percentage in 10 postseason contests adding nine RBI.

Payton was born for the leadoff role. It is a mentality that has helped him thrive.

“If I am leading off, I just try to get on base any way possible. I’m just trying to be a tough AB, a tough out. That is one of the things I learned at Coastal Carolina, to be obsessed with getting on base any way possible. It doesn’t matter as long as you get on.”

Don’t Get Too Comfortable – You Won’t Be There Long

The 2023 American Association season proved that Payton Eeles could play at a high level, but the best was yet to come. Payton opted not to return to Chicago but to head to Southern Maryland to join the Blue Crabs (Atlantic League) to continue the pursuit of his dream. His stay was a short one, as he played for the Blue Crabs for just six games before the Minnesota Twins organization came calling. It was a surreal moment, but not one where the infielder was going to be overwhelmed by the moment.

“All my life I was expecting that call (to get drafted). I thought last year it was going to be during the draft because I was talking to teams who made it sound like it was going to happen. So, I had my hopes up and then you don’t hear your name. So, you’re like ‘Shoot, I really thought I was going to be drafted,’ At first it didn’t feel real because I was waiting for this my whole life, and then it was finally happening. Once I finally landed in Florida with the Mussels, then it finally hit me. Now I am actually doing it and I was ready.”

In Florida, Payton put on a show. He was with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels for 34 games, hitting .331 with 32 runs scored and 26 RBI. He continued to prove that he could get on base, posting a gaudy .448 OBP. Plus, Eeles added 13 stolen bases.

It had been an odd pathway to reach affiliate ball, but Payton quickly saw the benefits of beginning his career in the American Association.

“It was actually nice to go to Indy Ball first because I thought when I got there I was struggling. I thought that maybe if I had gone to affiliate ball right away out of college, who knows if I am still here because I did struggle making that adjustment from college to pro. So, it was just a learning curve playing Indy ball gave me some time to learn.”

A little over a month into his affiliate career, Payton moved to High-A Cedar Rapids where the hit parade kept coming. The infielder hit .275 in his first 13 games, scoring 12 runs. While the batting average may have been slightly lower than he had posted in other places, Payton continued on his quest to get on base, earning 11 walks while striking out just three times in 55 at-bats. That gave him a .473 on-base percentage.

Payton knew that at 24, he had a limited time to make an impression. He is “older” than many of the class-A players and the pressure was on to deliver in short order. Fortunately, Payton thrives on pressure.

“Being 24 kind of helps me work harder. Adversity is kind of tough for some people, but I think it can be good. I don’t like to stress out about it, but I have been waiting for this for a long time. So, once I got here, I just wanted to take off.”

Onward and Upward?

On Saturday night, Payton Eeles played in his third game with the St. Paul Saints (He went 0-1, walking three times. Payton has reached base in eight of his first 11 plate appearances in St. Paul). Clearly, he made a big impression as the infielder found himself batting fifth. His call to St. Paul was to provide some reinforcements due to injuries, but Payton has made it clear that he is here to stay.

Or is he? The infielder has been impressive everywhere he has gone, and it would not be a surprise to see him playing across the river at Target Field with the Minnesota Twins soon. That would be a truly remarkable story, as Payton has played fewer than 100 professional games, but has himself on the cusp of reaching his dream to play Major League Baseball.

Along the way, a lot of people have bet against the 24-year-old, believing he did not have what it took to play college baseball, professional ball, or at the affiliate level. Many are probably still believing that this Cinderella story will come to an end. However, don’t bet on the clock striking 12 on Payton Eeles anytime soon. This tale, too, is likely to have a storybook ending.

By Robert Pannier