2025 Brewers Prospect Preview: Braylon Payne

I think I'll see him in Appleton by the end of the year where he'll start 2026.   He is one of the most interesting players to watch develop.   In the end another Corey Ray?   Or closer to Jose Altuve?

Trax, I don’t mean to pick on you, and I know you were just making a casual comparison. But I’ve seen a bunch of people compare Payne to Ray more pointedly, and it just doesn’t make sense. Yes, they’re both outfielders the Brewers drafted in the first round. Ray washed out, and Payne very well could wash out. But. Ray was *4 years older* on draft day than Payne was. IMHO that’s as major a difference between two drafted players as there can ever be. Ray had a very short runway, and he couldn’t get off the ground. Payne has as long a runway as anyone in the minors.

7 minutes ago, gregmag said:

Trax, I don’t mean to pick on you, and I know you were just making a casual comparison. But I’ve seen a bunch of people compare Payne to Ray more pointedly, and it just doesn’t make sense. Yes, they’re both outfielders the Brewers drafted in the first round. Ray washed out, and Payne very well could wash out. But. Ray was *4 years older* on draft day than Payne was. IMHO that’s as major a difference between two drafted players as there can ever be. Ray had a very short runway, and he couldn’t get off the ground. Payne has as long a runway as anyone in the minors.

It's the same lazy comparisons you read all of the time.

Left handed? Check. Outfielder? Check. African American? Check. Comparison over.

54 minutes ago, wallus said:

It's the same lazy comparisons you read all of the time.

Left handed? Check. Outfielder? Check. African American? Check. Comparison over.

Altuve is black?  Brilliant!   Just another lazy and blind race card played. 

I could have just as easily said Brice Turang for either example.  It's not about what side they bat from or what position they play.  It's about overall likelihood of success, floor and ceiling.   

45 minutes ago, CheeseheadInQC said:

Honestly, not a Brewers prospect, but the scouting reports initially gave me more of a less refined (because of age) Enrique Bradfield vibe than Ray. The post-draft reports have me hoping he could tap into more power than Bradfield has thus far.

Bradfield is listed as 170lbs. Payne was listed as a 190lb 17 year old. Kid is gonna be a big boy.

30 minutes ago, Trax said:

Altuve is black?  Brilliant!   Just another lazy and blind race card played. 

I could have just as easily said Brice Turang for either example.  It's not about what side they bat from or what position they play.  It's about overall likelihood of success, floor and ceiling.   

Settle down there. I didn't quote your post so the crappy Altuve comparison didn't come into play. Ray is a horrible one as well.

No race card was played, just a lazy comparison which it is.

1 hour ago, wallus said:

It's the same lazy comparisons you read all of the time.

Left handed? Check. Outfielder? Check. African American? Check. Comparison over.

Geez

No reason to take this down the race baiting highway.

C'mon.

9 minutes ago, TURBO said:

Geez

No reason to take this down the race baiting highway.

C'mon.

🙄 

Give me an in-depth comparison of how they are similar then.

17 minutes ago, wallus said:

Settle down there. I didn't quote your post so the crappy Altuve comparison didn't come into play. Ray is a horrible one as well.

No race card was played, just a lazy comparison which it is.

You've got nothing but the race pimping and the comparison was spot on.  Like I said, use Brice Turang in either spot.

Payne by all aspects looks much better than his draft profile across the board.    His power and contact rate is nice and I really look forward to him moving up the system this season.      He has things going on that really make him more than interesting when it comes to what he can become .        

He looks like he has Brandon Nimmo's swing style.  The Brewers draft well lately and Payne could turn out to be one heck of a find.  

8 hours ago, Jamie Cameron said:

I like the Crawford comp, too. I think the piece to add to the discussion is this: the draft scouting reports did not account for Payne's increased strength, bat speed, more impactful batted ball events. I think that will go down as an industry miss and it's the root of why some folks were surprised by the selection.

And another reason this team’s domestic draft department is firing on all cylinders.

From a 2023 draft-class most saw as superior right after the last signing to a 2024 draft-class panned by most that now is looking like one of the most underrated classes with Payne’s explosion, Dinges’s potential to catch with his hitting ability and a stable of pitching set to make their debut professionally after being worked with by the team’s PDS the last 6 months.

I remember this coming up in the draft thread, including the Ray comparison and the suggestions that it was not a good comparison. Here's what I said:

Quote

If you want to dream on Payne, maybe Carl Crawford is what you hope for? Never more than mid teens home runs but good average, lots of doubles and triples, defense, base running makes for a valuable package. At 6'2" with wide receiver comps, he's not a Dylan O'Rae, and he's young enough that you might expect more strength.  

I think what's most relevant is that both Crawford and Payne were young HS picks, wide receiver types, presumably meaning great speed, agility, and hands, but less time dedicated to baseball. What sets Payne apart from Ray and many other toolsy outfielders is extreme youth but more importantly his precocious swing decisions, which I believe was understood to be something Ray would have to work on.

While there was an expectation that he could slap the ball and get on base, at the time of the draft I don't think anyone here foresaw the exit velocities he would achieve as a 17 year old in low A ball. Kudos to the scouts that did.