NDFA To AquaSox Bullpen Stalwart

The realm of undrafted free agents is the wild wild west of professional baseball transactions. If someone is not fortunate enough to hear their name called on draft day but still has hopes of playing professional baseball, they are forced to work the system and market themselves in hopes of being offered a contract.

AquaSox reliever, Peyton Alford knows a lot about this journey. The left-hander from Knoxville Tennessee left Virginia Tech without hearing his name on draft day, but resiliently pivoted and secured himself a contract with the Seattle Mariners.

“In the draft, the basic issue was I was older, I was 23 during it, so a few teams got scared away, which I was perfectly fine with because I knew I would still have the option,” Alford said. “When the Mariners called I was eating with my family at Chili’s and they asked if I wanted to play for the Mariners. I said yes as fast I could.”

The Mariners UDFA signing Peyton Alford (Virginia Tech) is interesting. 4S FB (88-91/T94) w/ride, heavy usage. Works in a loopy CB in the mid 70s and a CH v. RHH. Repeats well. Natural feel for tunneling. Some optimization here. Lots of s/m. Fits multiple role profiles. pic.twitter.com/0kAB3SjQLn

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) July 21, 2021

Before he signed with the Mariners or even dared to dream of becoming a professional, Alford saw baseball as a method to get him through college.

“My biggest goal growing up was that I always wanted to go to a Power 5 college. It was not until my junior year of high school that I started to gain some velocity and realized that I had some interest in scouts,” Alford explained.

Alford was in no rush to go pro. He loved his time at Virginia Tech and even decided to come back for a fifth year of school to receive his Masters degree instead of immediately signing with a professional organization.

“I really really loved my time in college,” Alford said. “I had some really really good coaches that when I went on my visit there I just immediately fell in love with the place. I knew that is where I wanted to be. They were rebuilding the program, which I really enjoyed. It was the coolest thing to see where it was when I got there was completely different then when I left.”

The Virginia Tech rebuild that Alford participated in culminated in one of the best seasons in program history, the year after he left. The Hokies managed a 45-14 record and reached the Super Regionals. Even though it was the year after he departed, Alford takes great pride in the fact that he helped build the program to that point.

It is this selfless attitude that defines Alford as a man and player. The southpaw was a starter in college and was signed as a starter by the Mariners. But as younger pitching began to fill the organization, the Mariners asked Alford if he would be willing to come out of the bullpen. Alford accepted the assignment with zero issue.

“I kind of just told them I would do whatever they wanted. I started at the beginning then some guys became healthy, then the younger guys came in and they started wanting me to do some piggy backing and relieving, but I am a guy with no issue what my title is as long as I get to throw and go out and play,” Alford said.

Peyton Alford closes it out with a K. pic.twitter.com/paFklUKGmx

— Mariners Minors (@MiLBMariners) August 5, 2023

So where did Alford develop his love for baseball? While most baseball players inherit a love for the game from their parents, it was actually Alford’s older brother, Tyler that passed the game down to him. Tyler was a catcher and won an NAIA national championship when he was in college. From the very beginning of their baseball journeys Peyton has looked up to his older brother.

“My Dad actually loves to water ski, he used to play [baseball] casually, but it was my older brother that was the first to actually play it hard,” Alford said. “It was something we always did together. We would go to the field, my Dad would throw batting practice to us and that was our thing. We would come home from school and play baseball together, we’d hit, we’d play the ground ball game called knockout, anything to do with baseball we played together.”

It would be inappropriate not to mention, Alford’s younger brother Taylor. The youngest Alford is also a baseball catcher and actually catches Peyton’s bullpens when he is home in the offseason.

“Every offseason I go throw to my little brother. He is my bullpen catcher so I owe him a lot of gratitude. I always have to buy him food. I bought him a glove this offseason so that he would catch me. Most catchers don’t love catching bullpens, but I have been very blessed to have two catchers in my family and they catch me all the time,” Alford said.

Talking Gloves Part 10~ Peyton Alford @EverettAquaSox Pitcher, @31PeytonAlford shows off his @WilsonSportingG and checks out my vintage glove with a suggested trip to @DICKS pic.twitter.com/VvSoREZFer

— Chad Greaby🎙 (@ChadTalksSports) March 17, 2023

The biggest challenge of being on the west coast for Alford is not being able to contact his family as frequently as he would like. Alford says that his family still stays up to 1 AM to watch some of his games and it is something that gives him a connection to home.

Peyton Alford is no stranger to hard work and grit. It is really hard for an Undrafted Free Agent to make it as far as Alford has, let alone rise to the Major Leagues. But the AquaSox left hander is hopeful, that when he leaves Everett, he will return to the Pacific Northwest in a Mariners jersey.

“I have loved my time in Everett, It’s been great. The fans are awesome, the people have been really good to me. Excited hopefully to get back here one day in a Mariners uniform,” Alford said.