Image courtesy of Rob Thompson, St. Paul Saints
After missing the first two months of the minor-league season recovering from an offseason knee surgery, 25-year-old utility player Payton Eeles returned to baseball action last month with a rehab assignment divided between Low-A Fort Myers and High-A Cedar Rapids. Over his 13-game rehabilitation stint, the left-handed hitting fan favorite hit a combined .334/.420/.425 with 14 hits, two doubles, and a 144 wRC+ over 50 plate appearances. After a brief stint in the low minors, Eeles returned to Minnesota’s state capital, rejoining the Triple-A St. Paul Saints, hoping to build on his breakout 2024 campaign.
Over just four games played, the former Southern Maryland Blue Crab is hitting .353/.389/.353 with six hits, one walk, and a 102 wRC+ over 18 plate appearances. Now, 68 combined plate appearances are a notably small sample. However, Eeles has yet to hit a home run while netting only one extra-base hit, an outcome that is antithetical to the relative power surge the 25-year-old underwent at Triple A last season (eight home runs over 260 plate appearances). Eeles could course-correct and begin hitting for power again. For now, though, his contact-skilled profile has been on display early in his 2025 Triple-A campaign, evidenced by his well-above-average .353 batting average and 5.6% strikeout rate.
Similar to last season, Eeles is demonstrating aggressiveness on the basepaths, stealing four bases during his low minors rehab assignment and two at Triple-A. While continuing to be a contact-skilled left-handed bat who provides value on the bases, Eeles has continued to exhibit defensive flexibility, garnering playing time at the following positions early this season:
Shortstop (18 innings during rehab assignment; 19 innings at Triple-A)
Left Field (21 innings during rehab assignment)
Second Base (26 innings during rehab assignment; 18 innings at Triple-A)
He also netted three starts as a designated hitter during his rehab assignment. Regardless, the young utility player has played exclusively at second base and shortstop at St. Paul. while also seeing time in left field during his rehab assignment. Like many of Minnesota’s young, homegrown position players. Eeles isn’t fixed to one position. Part of his value manifests from his positional flexibility. Combining Eeles’s profile at the plate with his positional flexibility, there is reason to speculate he could soon earn a spot on the Twins’ 40-man roster and make his major-league debut.
Two weeks ago, this proclamation could have been deemed far-fetched. Eeles was still in the midst of his rehab assignment and the parent club was filled to the brim with healthy infielders, in Brooks Lee, Willi Castro, Kody Clemens, Royce Lewis, Jonah Bride, and Carlos Correa. However, given Lewis’s recent struggles at the plate, Clemens showing signs of regression, Bride providing little-to-no value, and the offense’s anemic state, there is reason to believe the playoff-hopeful club could benefit from inserting a jolt like Eeles into the mix.
Purchasing Eeles’s contract would be a straightforward transaction for Twins decision-makers, as they could designate minor-league journeyman Ryan Fitzgerald for assignment. Yes, Eeles will need to continue maintaining a high batting average and on-base percentage while showcasing some of the slugging capabilities he displayed with St. Paul last season to make his potential promotion to the next level realistic. However, given his promising start to his 2025 campaign (following a serious offseason procedure) and the current lackluster state of the parent club’s offense, there is reason to believe the former Indy ball product could make his major-league debut before the All-Star break.