Braylon Payne is Starting to Look Like a Superstar in the Making

[Sam Caulder]

Image courtesy of USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Over the last decade or so, the Milwaukee Brewers have done a sensational job of identifying young talent and developing legitimate big-league contributors. Jackson Chourio and Brice Turang are two of the best recent examples, with both homegrown prospects turning into key pieces of Milwaukee’s roster.

There are plenty of other young players who could soon follow that path. Jesús Made, Luis Lara and Cooper Pratt are all highly-regarded young talents within the organization, but there’s another name with legitimate superstar potential beginning to shine through: outfielder Braylon Payne.

Payne was Milwaukee’s first-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft and currently ranks as the No. 4 prospect in the organization, according to the Brewer Fanatic community. Considering he was just 17 years old when he made his professional debut, it’s pretty remarkable how quickly he has moved through the minor leagues. You certainly wouldn’t have known Payne was that young based on how he's played.

He posted a .910 OPS at High-A Wisconsin, before earning a promotion to Double-A on his 20th birthday. It’s uncommon for a player that young to even reach Double-A, let alone immediately find success against significantly more advanced pitching—but that’s exactly what Payne has done. He’s currently slashing .289/.337/.482 with an .812 OPS at Double-A. Those numbers are a step down from what he produced at High-A, which is completely understandable given the added difficulty of the competition, but there are actually some areas where Payne has improved since making the jump.

Most notably, he’s striking out less often. That's one of the more important things to watch with Payne moving forward. Bat-to-ball ability has been one of the big concerns surrounding him as a professional. He struck out in roughly 30% of his plate appearances at High-A, which is a fairly concerning number even when accounting for his age. That number has dropped to 28% at Double-A.

That’s obviously not some massive decrease, and there’s still plenty of room for Payne to improve in that area. However, some context is important. The jump from High-A to Double-A is widely regarded as the toughest jump in the minor leagues, as hitters are facing better stuff, more advanced pitchers and fewer mistakes to take advantage of. For Payne to actually make more contact against that level of competition is a really encouraging sign, and it’s especially important because he’s the type of player you really don’t want getting himself out.

There aren’t many players in the minor leagues who possess the raw tools that Payne has. In his 98 games between the two levels this season, he has hit 25 home runs and stolen 25 bases. Payne has always been an elite runner. He entered the 2024 Draft as one of the fastest players in the class, and that speed gives him an obvious weapon that can impact the game in multiple ways. He can take extra bases, steal bags and could provide above-average defense in center field. But the power development is what has taken his profile to another level.

Payne hit just eight home runs in 78 games during the 2025 season. He was always capable of driving the ball into the gaps, but there were questions about whether he would develop enough power to become a consistent home run threat. This year has gone a long way toward answering that question. If Payne’s power breakout is legitimate, we’re talking about a player who could realistically have a 30-30 ceiling at the major-league level while providing at least average defense in the outfield. That’s not just a good player; that’s a potential superstar.

Of course, it’s far too early to say with any certainty that Payne will become that type of player. He’s still just 20 years old, has plenty of development ahead of him and must prove that he can consistently make enough contact to maximize those impressive tools. The strikeout rate remains the biggest thing standing between Payne and that incredibly high ceiling. But man, it’s hard not to be excited about his future. If he can continue to bring that number down while maintaining the power and speed he's shown this season, his overall offensive profile could become extremely dangerous.

There are plenty of prospects who can do one or two things really well. There aren’t nearly as many who combine elite speed with legitimate power potential at such a young age. Payne has already shown flashes of being able to do both, and now he’s starting to show signs that the biggest weakness in his game may be improving as well.

The Brewers have already turned Chourio and Turang into stars, and they have plenty of other young talent coming through the organization. Payne has a chance to be the next big name in that group. If he can get the swing-and-miss just a little more under control, I don’t think it’s crazy to say that Payne has the potential to become a superstar.

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[Secret Stadium Sauce]

On MLB there is an article predicting each team's top 2028 prospect.  Brewers it's Pena which kind of makes sense, Made could be up some time in 2027 and he's currently next in line.

For the Cardinals....Frias, yikes!  Still had to make the trade they did, I suspect they couldn't have made it without including Frias but it will still sting a bit if Frias is a stud.  Though all of that goes away with a Brewers world series championship

[Team Canada]

50 minutes ago, Secret Stadium Sauce said:

Brewers it's Pena which kind of makes sense, Made could be up some time in 2027 and he's currently next in line.

Yeah it's the expected answer, but with his lost season Payne's quickly catching up.

[Joseph Zarr]

1 hour ago, Secret Stadium Sauce said:

On MLB there is an article predicting each team's top 2028 prospect.  Brewers it's Pena which kind of makes sense, Made could be up some time in 2027 and he's currently next in line.

For the Cardinals....Frias, yikes!  Still had to make the trade they did, I suspect they couldn't have made it without including Frias but it will still sting a bit if Frias is a stud.  Though all of that goes away with a Brewers world series championship

I was told, at the time of the trade, anyone lamenting the loss of Frias and Ragsdale was just prospect hugging. In predictable fashion, Josiah has been on an absolute tear. May, simply put, has to he better. Thankfully, we have some Blue Chippers in that outfield grass that lessen the sting and Antunez's absurdly good early Low-A work was indeed a shining light of the season. 

As to Payne, specifically, this season changes the calculus entirely. Before he was a hard working athlete playing baseball. Finally healthy, he showcased he truly may be a Superstar in the wings.