Yeah, Payne has a 30-grade hit tool right now. The Z-Contact just isn't nearly high enough. If he had even a halfway decent hit tool, he’d easily be a top-10 prospect in the game. Right now, he’s down in the 90s or floating just off top-100 lists. Meanwhile, Hartshorn has steamed all the way up into the top 30, which really highlights how the industry and models are weighting tools right now.
There’s obviously a total premium on the hit tool based on recent drafts, but I still think there’s more than one way to be a high-value player. Auxiliary tools still matter a ton, especially when they’re plus-plus. The gap in how evaluators rank these two feels massive, and I'm not sure I fully agree with that logic.
Great point on spreading the love, though lol got to generate clicks from all 30 fanbases! I’m definitely not complaining about having 10% of a top-100 list, just throwing the question out there for a good debate. It still is hard to believe just how young Payne still is everytime I see his age.