Superstar in the Making: Phillies Prospect Shines…
The Philadelphia Phillies made waves when they announced they were sending their superstar pitching prospect, Andrew Painter, to the Arizona Fall League.
Not only has he been out of sight, out of mind when it comes to the prospect scene because he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 and missed the last two years, but his return to the mound also coincided with Dave Dombrowski stating the Phillies are considering him for the fifth rotation spot at some point next season.
While Painter might no longer be considered the top minor league pitcher, he’s quickly reminding people just how good he can be during this AFL stint.
The 22-year-old continues to impress, this time putting together a dominant outing in his third start where he threw three scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three batters.
This not only was the deepest he’s pitched into a game as he continues to build up his arm after his long layoff, but it was also the best he’s looked by commanding the strike zone and not getting damaged by hitters.
Painter has now pitched seven innings in the Arizona Fall League where he has allowed three earned runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and just one walk. Two of those runs came in his first outing when he made his return to the mound after a two-year hiatus.
All things considered, this is exactly what Philadelphia was hoping to see.
He’s under a strict pitch limit, but he has remained healthy and has continued to get better the more outings he gets under his belt. Facing some of the best minor league players at this event, he has largely shut them down.
If Painter can finish strong in the AFL and build upon this performance during Spring Training, it’s going to be hard not to have him factor in for the fifth rotation spot next year, regardless of the innings restrictions they will put on him.
