Brewers minor-league update; Logan Henderson, Braylon Payne dazzle

Yahoo Sports1h ago23 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Braylon Payne, a 19-year-old first-round pick for the Brewers, is excelling in Class A Wisconsin with a 1.288 OPS and six homers in 14 games. His recent performance includes a seven-game hitting streak and four homers in his last three games.

Key points

Braylon Payne is a 19-year-old first-round pick for the Brewers.
He has a 1.288 OPS and six homers in 14 games for Class A Wisconsin.
Payne is on a seven-game hitting streak with four homers in his last three games.
He was drafted out of high school with the No. 17 pick in 2024.
Payne signed for an under-slot deal of $3.4 million.

Milwaukee BrewersBraylon Payne

Milwaukee Brewers fans have been acutely aware of the organization's talented teenagers for a while, with Luis Peña and Jesús Made among the top prospects in baseball.

But perhaps we're all sleeping on Braylon Payne.

The 19-year-old first-round pick in 2024 has been a monster for Class A Wisconsin, entering the final week of April baseball with a 1.288 OPS in 14 games and 49 at-bats, with six homers, three doubles, six stolen bases and a wild .492 on-base percentage.

Payne was particularly thorny for Fort Wayne over the past six games, upping his hitting streak to seven games while going 9-for-20 with two doubles and four homers, including one in each of his past three games.

Drafted out of high school in Houston with the No. 17 pick, Payne was a surprise for a franchise that often drafted college hitters first. He was one of the youngest players in the draft and wasn't seen as a first-round pick, so the Brewers were able to sign him for an under-slot deal of $3.4 million. They also procured savings from their other first-round pick, competitive-balance selection Blake Burke out of Tennessee.

The idea, seemingly, was to save as much as possible to offer second-round pitcher Chris Levonas, a highly touted high-school arm who turned down the Brewers' major overslot offer and is now one of the top prospects in the 2027 MLB Draft at Wake Forest. That left the impression that the 2024 draft would be a disappointment since Milwaukee's big swing didn't connect.

Milwaukee Brewers infielder/outfielder Jett Williams (76) works with Nashville Sounds bench coach David Tufo, center, and infield coordinator Andrew Romine at third base during spring training workouts Saturday, February 14, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.

Milwaukee Brewers infeilder/outfielder Greg Jones fields a ground ball during spring training workouts Monday, February 16, 2026, at American Family Fields of Phoenix in Phoenix, Arizona.

Q&A

What are Braylon Payne's stats in Class A Wisconsin?

Braylon Payne has a 1.288 OPS, six homers, three doubles, and six stolen bases in 14 games.

How did Braylon Payne perform in his recent games?

In his last six games, Payne went 9-for-20 with two doubles and four homers, extending his hitting streak to seven games.

Why was Braylon Payne considered a surprise first-round pick?

Payne was drafted out of high school with the No. 17 pick, despite not being seen as a typical first-round talent, allowing the Brewers to sign him for an under-slot deal.

What is Braylon Payne's signing bonus with the Brewers?

Braylon Payne signed with the Brewers for $3.4 million, which was below the typical slot value for a first-round pick.