Payton Eeles is part of one of my favorite stories in the Twins farm system, both he and Carson McCusker were signed out of Indy ball and shot through the system to land in AAA by the end of last season. Eeles had a .919 OPS in AAA and McCusker had a .820 OPS. Eeles is a 5'5 middle infielder and McCusker is a 6'8 corner outfielder.
I had the great privilege of announcing games for the Chicago Dogs during Payton’s tenure. Absolute grinder, down to earth, some of the best defensive plays I’ve seen made in person. I’m so happy he’s getting his chance with the Twins.
I covered Payton for a few weeks in the Northwoods League in the summer of ‘21… awesome guy who was always the type of person that would jump on the first opportunity to improve anyway possible. Really cool to see a video like this on him
As a Twins fan, I really hope this guy stays consistent and breaks through to the majors this year. Correa, Lee, Julien and Keaschall are all big names expected to get playing time at 2B/SS but damn I wanna see this guy succeed
I love Peyton Eeles. Saw him at a few saints games last year and the kid has thighs like tree trunks and can hit and is really fast. Glove is great, too. Cant believe he hasnt gotten a look
So cool to see this guy get more attention. I thought it was bonkers watching him rocket his way up our system the way he did after coming out of nowhere, thanks bailey preciate ya
When he played with the Chicago Dogs my partner met Payton when they were working at the hotel the Dogs frequently stayed at! They said that he frequently went down to the lobby at night to buy a haul of snacks apparently
You will. Pohlads know what brings suckers to the ballpark and it’s definitely “feel good” stories. That’s how they’ve always operated because it’s cheaper than actually chasing rings
Payton is a very strong, smart and talented player with a great work ethic. I have watched him grow up and he has that "IT" thing in sports that not everyone has. He's destined for greatness.
Caught a handful of Dogs games when Eeles was on the team, dude stood out immediately. Rock solid defender, great AB's, just all around an amazing shot in the arm for a mid-season add.
I saw him hit a triple in Low-A Fort Myers back in May! Awesome video and so cool to see his quick ascent since then. Certainly continuing to root for him going forward!
I’m the proud of owner of the exact Fighting Saints jersey he’s wearing in the thumbnail. The correct word to describe how he played while in St. Paul is DOG
Known him since he moved to Acworth and had the pleasure of playing with him every year until we graduated high school. Couldn't happen to a better dude!
it's worth noting that every projection system on FanGraphs projects him at 103 wRC+ or better for 2025 besides The Bat. This is extremely rare for a prospect who's never stepped foot in the Bigs, let alone an undrafted guy with just one MiLB season. It's directly a result of him absolutely raking in 2024, not just hitting for a high average (many prospects do) but literally walking as many times as he strikes out. 14% walk rate is very rare, but striking out that same amount is insanely impressive, and a sign he will fit in at the MLB level. Dude has like 10+ years of ridiculous production, I'd put my money on him producing in the Bigs sooner rather than later.
that’s crazy. i live in acworth, wild that your grandparents used to live there. i knew you were a braves fan but didn’t know you were familiar with my neck of the woods. north paulding alumni and i pass allatoona everyday on my way to work. will def keep my eye out for this guy
what i find crazy about this guy's story is that being really short gives him a Ricky Henderson sized strike zone and you think that'd be really helpful on a guy that's just really good at baseball and has great hustle but teams just ignore him being a shortstop that can mash cause he's 5'6"
Tbf having a smaller zone doesn't mean much if you don't have a great eye. Like, Altuve is a known free-swinger that doesn't have the best discipline out there, so yes there's that advantage but you gotta know how to use that
I actually know who this video was going to be about just from the Height. I got to watch Payton play in his first Cedar Rapids Kernals game (Twins A+ team) and it was a doozy. He went 1 of 2 with his hit being a triple, got 2 HBP, stole a base and scored 2 runs both on throwing errors that he hustle home on. He didn't stay there long so I didn't get to see another game but I was intrigued enough that I kept checking to see how he was doing up in AAA.
That game 7 walkoff against Ohtani and the Dodgers for Peyton is going to go crazy and will eventually have a Scott Hatteberg walkoff in Moneyball esque movie moment starring Brad Pitt.
Never wanted a person I knew nothing about 10 minutes ago to succeed to much.
I think this is about you tbh
I think it's about him to, didn't he play in the creator vs pros game a while back? That's close enough to Indy ball 😂
5’5 is too tall for Bailey. Maybe if it was 4’5
I’m canonically 5’6 so I tower over that pipsqueak
@@FoolishBailey It's ok, little bro. We're here rootin' for ya.
This is about most of us
high school teammate and great friend. he’s always been a stud 💪🏻
Played y’all in semis 2018 I went to Alpharetta dude was an absolute gamer
We played together when we were 12
For anyone interested I’d also highlight Caleb Durbin: 5’ 6” D3 college who is now on a 40 man and stole 29 bases in 24 games this fall
Payton Eeles is part of one of my favorite stories in the Twins farm system, both he and Carson McCusker were signed out of Indy ball and shot through the system to land in AAA by the end of last season. Eeles had a .919 OPS in AAA and McCusker had a .820 OPS.
Eeles is a 5'5 middle infielder and McCusker is a 6'8 corner outfielder.
if they make it i need a pic of them together posing like muggsy and manute bol
Yeah but we don't **** with McCuskers
7:19 Oh, HA-HA. Very funny, guys. Giving the five-five guy _five_ hundred for signing. Y'all make me sick.
Better then 550
"Let's _not_ sign him on purpose so that he makes MLB debut at twenty FIVE in two thousand and twenty FIVE! lol"
Come on, dude. Not cool.
I had the great privilege of announcing games for the Chicago Dogs during Payton’s tenure. Absolute grinder, down to earth, some of the best defensive plays I’ve seen made in person. I’m so happy he’s getting his chance with the Twins.
I covered Payton for a few weeks in the Northwoods League in the summer of ‘21… awesome guy who was always the type of person that would jump on the first opportunity to improve anyway possible. Really cool to see a video like this on him
As a fellow short king, I wish him the best.
scrappy hitter, short white utility player? yeah, he’ll be a Brewer soon enough.
we gotta replace willy adames somehow
They already got Caleb Durbin. You're getting greedy.
That’s talkin’ jake
lol I thought he looked similar to someone
He has one of the most mechanically sound swings I’ve ever seen out anybody I’ve watched in the big leagues. It’s no wonder he keeps succeeding
Not only an awesome story, but an incredible ballplayer. He’s done nothing but produce consistently. Great seeing him get some more love
He's living basically every D2/D3 guy's dream right now and it's awesome
As a Twins fan, I really hope this guy stays consistent and breaks through to the majors this year. Correa, Lee, Julien and Keaschall are all big names expected to get playing time at 2B/SS but damn I wanna see this guy succeed
2025 road map for you
Correa traded.
Lee injured/underperforming.
Julien traded.
Keaschall & Eeles will get a few weeks of games
I feel like the name Peyton alone already proves you know how to play ball.
As a massive Twins fan, I never would have thought I’d see Bailey make a video about Peyton Elles but I am very pleasantly surprised
0:20 Wait? If you went undrafted, how could you have famously played for the Braves in 2001.
I saw that video too and every FB video I watch, I say to myself ‘there’s no way Foolish Bailey is in his 40s…’
Obviously he was signed as an international free agent.
Undrafted players can still be signed as unaffiliated/indy league free agents.
Wow, I’ll definitely be watching for Eeles this year. Thanks for giving us another player to root for Bailey!
great foreshadowing from Bailey at the beginning of this video by eventually revealing his twin has become a Twin
I love Peyton Eeles. Saw him at a few saints games last year and the kid has thighs like tree trunks and can hit and is really fast. Glove is great, too. Cant believe he hasnt gotten a look
As a 5' 5" guy myself, I'll be rooting for this guy I only just learned about
1:43 Czech baseball legend Marek "The Punisher" Chlup spotted
Acworth, GA mentioned
I went to a few Saint Paul Saints games this year to see Cubs prospects play as a cubs fan in MN, and I knew the name seemed familiar…
So cool to see this guy get more attention. I thought it was bonkers watching him rocket his way up our system the way he did after coming out of nowhere, thanks bailey preciate ya
2:47
"At the Sunbelt, AKA the Fun-Belt"
Bailey is a sickos confirmed???
The sickos took that from old school EDSBS, I prefer to imagine Bailey as a huge Spencer Hall fan
When he played with the Chicago Dogs my partner met Payton when they were working at the hotel the Dogs frequently stayed at! They said that he frequently went down to the lobby at night to buy a haul of snacks apparently
He's getting the recognition he desrves!!!! Excited to hopefully see him in a twins jersey this summer
You will. Pohlads know what brings suckers to the ballpark and it’s definitely “feel good” stories.
That’s how they’ve always operated because it’s cheaper than actually chasing rings
As a tall guy myself Logan workman of the Rays from a D3 school is my niche favorite underdog watch list
What a journey! I can't wait to see how he does.
Payton is a very strong, smart and talented player with a great work ethic. I have watched him grow up and he has that "IT" thing in sports that not everyone has. He's destined for greatness.
Rooting for this dude!! Great vid Bailey
Caught a handful of Dogs games when Eeles was on the team, dude stood out immediately. Rock solid defender, great AB's, just all around an amazing shot in the arm for a mid-season add.
Ohhh this is good stuff, I love being subscribed to the main channel.
The American Association is free to watch on their app and is a great league.
Good vid Foolish as always.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention
One of my favorite videos you’ve ever done.
I saw him hit a triple in Low-A Fort Myers back in May! Awesome video and so cool to see his quick ascent since then. Certainly continuing to root for him going forward!
6:55 Southern Maryland native here. Even more reason for me to root for this guy now
Beautiful story. I hope he plays for 20 years in the bigs
He helped coach my 17u travel team a couple years ago for a tournament. Great dude
Love the channel. This might be my favorite Bailey video.
this is more amazing than ohtani's record setting season, i wish the best for this young man
welcome back, ty france
Great video. Rooting for this guy!
"No, he rakes! He rakes!"
Everybody loves an underdog
I’m the proud of owner of the exact Fighting Saints jersey he’s wearing in the thumbnail. The correct word to describe how he played while in St. Paul is DOG
great story bailey. hope this kid makes it.
Derek Bender mention. RIP to his baseball career.
thank you for giving me something to be excited about for the twins season
Wowww, amazing video. Thank you for showing me this
Up there as one of the best videos you've ever made Bailey.
Known him since he moved to Acworth and had the pleasure of playing with him every year until we graduated high school. Couldn't happen to a better dude!
it's worth noting that every projection system on FanGraphs projects him at 103 wRC+ or better for 2025 besides The Bat. This is extremely rare for a prospect who's never stepped foot in the Bigs, let alone an undrafted guy with just one MiLB season. It's directly a result of him absolutely raking in 2024, not just hitting for a high average (many prospects do) but literally walking as many times as he strikes out. 14% walk rate is very rare, but striking out that same amount is insanely impressive, and a sign he will fit in at the MLB level.
Dude has like 10+ years of ridiculous production, I'd put my money on him producing in the Bigs sooner rather than later.
that’s crazy. i live in acworth, wild that your grandparents used to live there. i knew you were a braves fan but didn’t know you were familiar with my neck of the woods. north paulding alumni and i pass allatoona everyday on my way to work. will def keep my eye out for this guy
Always good to see Bailey post on his main channel
Great video! Thanks for the info.
He passes the eye test too. At the 3 Saints games I went to last year, he jumped off the field. He’s a jolt of electricity on the Diamond.
duuude Im a Southern Miss fan and I remember him @ coastal. Kid was a dawg
I enjoyed watching him in St. Paul last year. Really rooting for him to get the call.
Saw this guy play at Coastal Carolina! Went 4 for 6 in a 15 run route of my school
I'll consider myself informed. Thank you.
I loved this and would love to see a future Foolish Baseball video on him!
Bailey with a great reminder of why baseball is the absolute best
Holy shit played him my junior year high school in state semis kid was a stud remembered him hitting two bombs. Nice kid too
video on Carson McCusker next the Twins have two of them
what i find crazy about this guy's story is that being really short gives him a Ricky Henderson sized strike zone and you think that'd be really helpful on a guy that's just really good at baseball and has great hustle but teams just ignore him being a shortstop that can mash cause he's 5'6"
Tbf having a smaller zone doesn't mean much if you don't have a great eye. Like, Altuve is a known free-swinger that doesn't have the best discipline out there, so yes there's that advantage but you gotta know how to use that
I actually know who this video was going to be about just from the Height. I got to watch Payton play in his first Cedar Rapids Kernals game (Twins A+ team) and it was a doozy. He went 1 of 2 with his hit being a triple, got 2 HBP, stole a base and scored 2 runs both on throwing errors that he hustle home on. He didn't stay there long so I didn't get to see another game but I was intrigued enough that I kept checking to see how he was doing up in AAA.
Bothers me that guys like this get so overlooked when we have so many examples of weird archetype players being great.
This is why we subscribe to Foolish Bailey
Wow, in my twins system? Gotta sit down for this one
As a casual Twins fan this is the greatest news I've ever heard I'll go to a game specifically to see him if he ends up starting
As a student in a GMAC school (Thomas More) this video makes me proud
Eight times his signing bonus. Gold, Jerry, gold.
Gotta get this guy on my squad in OOTP this minute.
Good vid FB.
Twins fans like me will love a short king in our lineup.
5'5" *_and_* 180 lbs!? Dude has got to be an absolute unit!
Great story, can't wait to see him in 2025
Love this story
Apparently I've seen this guy play with the dogs. Neat.
3:36 Derek Bender. Search him up
Great vid Bailey
I know the twins have a heap of infgielders but im excited for this guy
Is this Peter Brand nephew? This dude found a stud💯
Well I know who I'll be looking for in my The Show 25 franchise
That game 7 walkoff against Ohtani and the Dodgers for Peyton is going to go crazy and will eventually have a Scott Hatteberg walkoff in Moneyball esque movie moment starring Brad Pitt.
I have to watch every Twins spring training game now
Played him in college. He was an animal
such an intriguing main channel - wonder if there is a secondary channel??
5:35 JOHNESHWY FARGAS MENTIONED 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
He’s got the Foolish community behind him
I knew the name sounded familiar. I saw him play with the Chicago Dogs in 2023!
Maybe got another Freddie Patek here. Solid player.
Dude is my RTTS character in real life.
For comparison’s sake, David Eckstein was also a rookie at 26. Really pulling for this man!
Now I am a Payton Eeles fan
Played against him at Coastal. Hes a dawg