New York Yankees Payton was then drafted by the
New York Yankees in the seventh round of the
2014 MLB draft. He signed and spent 2014 with both the
Charleston RiverDogs and
Tampa Yankees, slashing .320/.418/.497 with four home runs over 48 total games. In 2015, he played for both Tampa and the
Trenton Thunder, batting a combined .267/.346/.368 with six home runs and 52 RBIs. In 2016, he played for Tampa, Trenton, and the
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, batting a combined .282/.358/.423 with ten home runs and 62 RBIs. In 2017, he played for Trenton and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, batting .256/.313/.389 with six home runs and 23 RBIs in 94 total games.
Oakland Athletics During the 2018
Winter Meetings, the
Oakland Athletics selected Payton from the Yankees in the minor league phase of the
Rule 5 draft. In 2019, Payton played for the AAA
Las Vegas Aviators, batting .334/.400/.653 with 80 runs, 30 home runs, and 97 RBIs (8th in the
Pacific Coast League) in 395 at bats. He was the PCL Player of the Week on July 14. After the season, on October 10, 2019, he was selected for the
United States national baseball team in the
2019 WBSC Premier 12.
Cincinnati Reds On December 12, 2019, Payton was selected by the
Cincinnati Reds in the 2019 Rule 5 draft. On July 21, 2020, Payton was returned by the Reds to the Athletics. On August 7, Payton was traded back to Cincinnati in exchange for cash considerations. On August 22, Payton was selected to the major league roster. He made his major league debut that day against the
St. Louis Cardinals. He finished the year 3-for-18 (.167) in 8 games with the Reds. Payton was assigned to the Triple-A
Louisville Bats to begin the 2021 season, and was designated for assignment on July 19, 2021 after hitting .182/.250/.182 with no home runs or RBI in 24 games with Cincinnati.
New York Mets On July 24, 2021, Payton was traded to the
New York Mets in exchange for cash considerations. On November 30, 2021, Payton was non-tendered by the Mets, making him a free agent.
Chicago White Sox On March 28, 2022, Payton signed a minor league deal with the
Chicago White Sox organization. He was assigned to the Triple–A
Charlotte Knights, where he hit .289/.365/.522 with 20 home runs and 77 RBI in 102 games. On September 3, the White Sox selected Payton's contract, adding him to the major league roster. In 8 games for Chicago, he went 3–for–21 (.143) with 1 RBI and 4 walks. On November 18, he was non–tendered and became a free agent. On November 21, the White Sox re–signed Payton to a minor league deal. He was released on December 26, in order to pursue an opportunity in Japan.
Saitama Seibu Lions On December 26, 2022, Payton signed with the
Saitama Seibu Lions of
Nippon Professional Baseball. He became a free agent following the 2023 season.
Chicago White Sox (second stint) On November 15, 2023, Payton signed a minor league contract with the
Chicago White Sox. He made 112 appearances for the Triple-A
Charlotte Knights, slashing .309/.383/.463 with 10 home runs, 53 RBI, and five stolen bases. Payton elected free agency following the season on November 4, 2024.
Toros de Tijuana On May 28, 2025, Payton signed with the
Toros de Tijuana of the
Mexican League. In eight appearances for Tijuana, he went 1-for-22 (.045) with no home runs or RBI. Payton was released by the Toros on June 11.
Algodoneros de Unión Laguna On July 2, 2025, Payton signed with the
Algodoneros de Unión Laguna of the
Mexican League. In 14 games he hit .222/.243/.389 with 1 home run and 3 RBIs. He was released on January 30, 2026. ==See also==