Jason Lee Payton, called "Jay, was born on November 22, 1972 in Zanesville, Ohio. He is an outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles.

Jay bats and throws right-handed.

High School
Jay attended Zanesville High School in Zanesville, Ohio. He was a star in soccer, basketball, and baseball. An excellent student, he graduated 4th in his class.

College
Jay attended Georgia Tech University.

Minors
Jay was selected by the Mets in the first round (29th pick) of the 1994 amateur draft.

He made his way through the Mets' farm system, playing for the Pittsfield Mets, the Binghamton Mets, Gulf Coast League Mets, St. Lucie Mets and the Norfolk Tides.

Major Leagues
Jay made his major league debut for the Mets in 1998, but was slowed down by ankle, foot and back injuries in three of his first four seasons.

The Mets traded Jay to the Rockies during the 2002 season.

In 2003, he enjoyed his most productive season with career highs in home runs (28), RBI (89), runs (93), hits (181), doubles (32), on base percentage (.354), slugging average (.512), at bats (600) and games played (157), and a .302 batting average.

Jay was signed by San Diego as a free agent at the end of the 2003 season.

In December, he was sent to Boston for Dave Roberts. He was their utility player, specializing in outfield play.

Jay was designated for assignment by the Red Sox on July 7, 2005. On July 13, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics for pitcher Chad Bradford.

In 2006, Jay played regularly in the outfield for the Athletics.

On December 8, 2006, Jay signed a two-year, $9.75 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles.

Personal
Jay lives in North Carolina during the off season and has a son named Preston who was born in July 2004.