Green's Focused Approach Helps Blue Wahoos Navigate Early-Season Challenges

An eighth-inning pitch rocketed off his bat, roped down the third base line, and for a brief moment Payton Green was thinking of a hitter’s dream.

The Blue Wahoos shortstop had homered in the second inning, followed by a single and double. A 4-for-4 night in Tuesday’s game against the Knoxville Smokies was a triple away from completing the rarity of a cycle.

“I was thinking triple the whole way,” said Green, following the Blue Wahoos’ 5-1 in the series opener. “And then when I rounded second and I was like, Oh no, I can’t (make it).

“I’m going to be out by 20 feet, so I had to put on the brakes.”

Wise choice, of course. The performance further accelerated Green’s start in the first two weeks of this season. He entered Wednesday’s game batting .435 in eight games. Six of his 10 hits were two homers and four doubles.

It was a continuation of good vibes that Green felt coming out of spring training. Green, 23, a Cary, North Carolina native, joined the Blue Wahoos in August last season, after beginning 2025 in High-A Beloit. In 65 games for the Sky Carp, he batted .278 with six homers and 33 RBI.

This quick level rise has happened since the Miami Marlins selected him in the sixth round of the 2024 draft out of Georgia Tech. He played his junior season there, following a transfer from N.C. State.

It became a pivotal point of his journey. He credits current Georgia Tech coach James Ramsey for helping spur his advancement.

“I think Georgia Tech is one of the best programs in the nation,” Green said. “And coach Ramsey during my one year there really helped me mentally in learning how to never take a pitch off, never giving an at-bat away.
“I think that has really helped me through pro ball, because it is a long season… with a lot of at-bats… and you can never give at-bat away.”

Green has helped the Blue Wahoos get through a rough start. The team was 0-5 on April 9 following a disparaging 15-3 road loss against the Biloxi Shuckers.

The next game became the season’s first win. The Blue Wahoos (3-6) have been a different-looking team since that point. Green said manager Nelson Prada kept his calming demeanor and the players’ own determination changed the direction.

“He’s (Prada) really good at keeping it consistent with our guys,” Green said. “There’s no panic really. It’s a long season. He trusts us to go out and do our job and I think we are now starting to show that.

“I think we just knew we had to be better, both pitching wise and hitting wise. I think we just took a little more pride in putting at-bats together and making pitches. It’s a long season. I think everybody just buying-in helped us.”

The season is six months and 138 games long, so Green understands a team will go through different sets of results.

“It’s always a roller coaster. But I also think having good teammates around you and kind of picking and choosing what they are doing good and not doing good… and learning from everyone is kind of the biggest thing in the clubhouse.

“Sometimes it’s just a little bit of momentum. Once you start to see those hits start to fall and those runs start to go up on the board, it builds momentum.”

The kind of surge that leads into a 4-for-4 night at the plate like Green experienced April 14.

“It’s a big confidence boost,” he said. “For me, it’s knowing that if I trust myself and stick to my approach good things will happen.”