Jay Payton enjoyed the most active and productive season of his career, and it wasn't purely Coors Field. Obviously, there was a confidence factor from Coors that Payton parlayed into success. However, Payton hit .281 on the road, and hit 15 of his 28 home runs outside Coors. He enjoyed career highs in several offensive categories, including on-base percentage.
Payton opened the season hitting second, but really came on strong when he
was moved to the No. 6 slot in the order in the second half. Hitting down in the
order allowed Payton to be aggressive, which he prefers. Payton is a line-drive
hitter who is served well by the open gaps at Coors Field. He likes the
fastball. When he goes into a funk, it's because the opposition is keeping him
off-stride with offspeed and breaking pitches. He has the type of speed a
manager would be tempted to put at the top of the order, but he doesn't work
counts and doesn't steal bases.
Payton is the ideal left fielder for Coors Field, which has the biggest left
field in baseball. He has the speed and range to play center, plus a decent arm.
The questionable breaks that make him passable, at best, in center aren't as big
of a problem in left. He is a heady player and understands the importance of
hitting cutoff men. Payton can take the extra base, but despite above-average
speed, he is a feeble basestealer. He doesn't have that feel for situations, and
doesn't read pitchers well.
This is a critical season for Payton, who has a reputation for nagging
injuries. If he can put together another healthy season, he finally could emerge
as the quality player scouts anticipated, when he came out of Georgia Tech rated
ahead of his teammates Jason Varitek and Nomar Garciaparra.