Player Profile: Aaron Payne

Aaron Payne is a sophomore from the University of Oregon. Payne hit .277 with 42 runs, 16 stolen bases, and 84 total bases in 65 games with the Ducks. He also led the Pac-12 conference by getting hit with 25 pitches.  He was 2012 Pac-12 All-Academic Second-Team, 2012 Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention, and named the Pac-12 Player of the Week twice (May 7 and April 30). He has been playing extremely well for the Braves, as well. In just 16 games, Aaron is batting .340 with 4 stolen bases, 9 runs scored, and 7 runs batted-in. He will doing anything to get on base for his team, so it is no surprise he leads the Cape League in hit-by-pitches.
Aaron Payne is just a hard-working player that is willing to do anything to help the Braves pick up a win. I say this with the utmost respect for Aaron's style of play; I consider him a "scrappy" ballplayer. In the field, he never gives up on the baseball, and his ability to get the ball out of his glove and make successful snap throws to first base makes him a very capable fielder. At the plate is where Aaron's true "scratch and claw" mentality shines. He will see 4 pitches in a majority of his at-bats. Aaron loves to grind out plate appearances until the pitcher makes a mistake. When he does get a good pitch he possesses very quick hands (slow-motion swing and miss) and excellent plate coverage (slow motion foul ball). These attributes have allowed him to be a table-setter for Colin Moran during his recent success. Personally, I think his presence has stabilized, a once inconsistent, top of the order. As for hitting mechanics, Aaron starts with an open-stance and his back leg right on the boundary of the batter's box. In fact, the first thing Payne does when he leads off is scrape off that boundary, so he can stand even closer. One unique thing about Payne's hitting mechanics is the way he sets his hands. Most hitters with a high leg kick use the beginning of the leg kick to start their hands. Payne's hands don't start moving back until a brief pause while he leg is descending. When that front foot does touch, he is in an excellent hitting stance. The slow motion video shows that his weight is back, his hand's are in the hitter's slot, and he is square to the pitcher. I included a back view so you can see exactly how close he is to the plate. I noticed in the back view that he does pull his back leg early to get a head start to 1st base.
I firmly believe that Aaron Payne will will be drafted in the 2013 draft. He has appeal to an organization's system in the David Eckstein mold. I believe any team that drafts him will be elated with the player they get back.  He will be solid in the field and do whatever it takes to help his team win baseball games.