Payton Eeles' journey to the Minnesota Twins organization is a testament to perseverance and determination.
Standing at 5'5", Eeles was lightly recruited out of high school, leading him to spend four years at Division II Cedarville University in Ohio. He later transferred to Coastal Carolina University for a fifth year but went undrafted in 2023.
Undeterred, Eeles joined the Chicago Dogs of the American Association, followed by a stint with the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs in the Atlantic League. His performance there, hitting three home runs in six games, caught the Twins' attention, who signed him for $500 in May 2024.
Eeles' ascent through the Twins' minor league system has been rapid and impressive.
He began with the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, where he hit .343 over his first 10 games. This earned him a promotion to the Cedar Rapids Kernels, and later, a leap directly to the Triple-A St. Paul Saints in early July. Eeles maintained a .299 batting average at Triple-A, hitting eight home runs and stealing 20 bases, culminating in a .919 OPS.
Unfortunately Twins fan will have to hit the pause button for a bit. Eeles' momentum faced a setback when he underwent offseason knee surgery to address a cartilage issue, leading to his placement on the Triple-A injured list to start the 2025 season.
Despite this, his trajectory remains inspiring, personifying the impact of resilience and adaptability in professional sports. National outlets have taken notice of Eeles' remarkable rise, placing him between the 11th and 23rd spots on the Twins' Top 30 Prospect lists heading into 2025.
The Twins currently have an infield of Brooks Lee, Carlos Correa, Royce Lewis, Jose Miranda and Ty France with Willi Castro and Austin Martin adding depth.
While at first glance that may seem solid on paper, the injury bugs to Lee, Lewis and Castro are well known. Martin has proved inconsistent at the MLB level. Depth is never a bad thing to have to have in the organization.
If Eeles were to progress, he could fill in for a trade behind a Castro or similar type player.
In an era of huge signing bonuses and contracts closing in on a billion dollars, it would be very refreshing to see a player who signed for a mere $500 make the big leagues. It's a testament to all those players out there who are trying to pursue a dream.
He's not there yet, but Peyton Eeles is set up to be a player to watch and root for this coming summer.