Payton was first drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 31st round of the 2010 MLB draft out of St. Rita of Cascia High School in Chicago, Illinois. He did not sign with the Twins and went on to play college baseball at the University of Texas at Austin for the Longhorns. While at Texas, he had a Big-12 record 101 straight games getting on base.Ex-St. Rita Star Mark Payton Extends On-Base Streak to 100 Games With Homer After his junior season he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 16th round of the 2013 MLB Draft, but did not sign and returned to Texas for his senior season. In 2013, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Payton played in 234 games during his four-year college career, batting .318/.425/.444 with seven home runs.
