Philadelphia Phillies fans have been looking forward to the arrival of star pitching prospect Andrew Painter for years now.
Injuries robbed Painter of the chance to continue his development in both 2023 and 2024. But now back in action, Painter still looks every bit the future star he did before he was sidelined.
The Phillies organization has not been shy about their ambitious plans for Painter since they drafted him with the 13th overall pick in the 2021 MLB draft.
Painter was the rare high school pitcher to be deemed relatively close to being Big League ready as a teenager.
It’s easy to forget, but before he suffered an elbow injury in March of 2023, Painter was competing with Bailey Falter for the No. 5 starter job.
Now healthy, Painter owns a 2.25 ERA in three starts with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and with 15 strikeouts in 12 innings, he’s shown an ability to overpower batters at the doorstep of MLB.
MiLB.com analyst Sam Dykstra listed Painter among his top five high-end prospects on the verge of earning call-ups, even if there’s not much clear opportunity in the team’s rotation.
“On the season, he’s averaged 96.6 mph on his four-seamer while showing a full complement of breaking pitches and an effective, if minimally used changeup,” Dykstra wrote. “The Phillies enter Friday with the National League’s best record, and the rotation is a big reason why… Even Mick Abel was sent back to Triple-A after outpitching Paul Skenes in his MLB debut Sunday.”
Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo are pitching like Cy Young candidates, while Cristopher Sanchez is on the verge of stardom. Even Ranger Suarez and Taijuan Walker have been effective in their 11 combined starts.
Veteran Aaron Nola has been the lone weak point in the Philadelphia rotation, and there’s no reason to believe he will lose his spot as long as he’s healthy.
Despite the depth, the organization clearly does plan to include Painter in its plans at some point this season.
Dave Dombrowski told MLB.com in April that the plan to bring him along in his buildup slowly was to preserve his innings for later on in the year.
Still, some analysts are pouring cold water on the concept of Painter’s readiness.
“I don’t think he’s ready to step into a big-league rotation right now,” Keith Law wrote in The Athletic (subscription required).
If he’s not ready to hold his own in a rotation, could he serve as a high-end arm out of the bullpen late in the season?
Top starting pitching prospects have debuted on contending teams as reliever before — think Joba Chamberlain. The Phillies certainly have the need for help there with Jose Alvarado ineligible for the playoffs.
