Pitching Prospect Pandemonium! Phillies Fans Go Wild as Top Prospect Takes Center Stage
As the Philadelphia Phillies prepare for the 2025 MLB season, they know there is one area of their team that they will have the advantage of heading into every series this summer — starting pitching.
The team’s rotation is absolutely loaded, right in the discussion as the No. 1 five-man group in baseball.
Leading the way is Zack Wheeler, the runner-up for the 2024 National League Cy Young Award behind Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves. Behind him is the ever-reliable workhorse, Aaron Nola.
A pair of 2024 All-Stars, Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez, are Nos. 3 and 4 in the rotation. Both look poised to take another step forward in 2025 for various reasons.
Sanchez has taken his velocity up another few ticks in spring training, looking like a legitimate breakout ace candidate.
Set to hit free agency after the year, Suarez will be looking to prove his All-Star level production last year wasn’t a fluke to earn a multi-year contract paying north of $20 million AAV.
Their new No. 5 starter is Jesus Luzardo, acquired in a trade from the Miami Marlins this offseason. If he can recapture his 2023 form after injuries derailed his 2024, the Phillies will have a five-man rotation of All-Star caliber performers.
Last year’s No. 5 starter, Taijuan Walker, has looked great in spring training in getting things back on track. He offers what looks to be excellent depth behind those five pitchers.
But, the player that people will be keeping the closest eye on as the season moves along is top prospect Andrew Painter.
He was in the mix for a Major League roster spot heading into the 2023 season in spring training. But, an elbow injury that would eventually lead to Tommy John surgery has derailed him since.
Painter hasn’t pitched in the last two seasons, making his return to the mound in the Arizona Fall League a few months ago.
All things considered, he looked excellent there through 15.2 innings with a 2.30 ERA and 0.894 WHIP with 18 strikeouts.
Considered by some to be a top-10 prospect in baseball this year, his development is the biggest storyline to watch for Philadelphia this year in the opinion of Jim Bowden of The Athletic (paid subscription required).
“The development of one of the best pitching prospects in baseball, Andrew Painter, who will start the year in the minors but could become a difference-maker in the Majors by summertime,” the former MLB executive wrote.
The Phillies have a plan in place to ensure that Painter isn’t overworked in his first year back on the mound. He isn’t going to be appearing with the Major League team until the summer since they want to ensure he will be available when needed most down the stretch.
With expectations of being World Series contenders, it makes sense to withhold Painter as long as possible to make sure he has innings remaining in October.
If he lives up to the hype, Philadelphia’s pitching staff will become that much more dangerous given his immense upside.
