The Next Superstar is Coming: Phillies Future Looks Bright With…
The Philadelphia Phillies have one of the best farm systems in baseball, but many of their prospects are still a few years away. Just a couple seasons ago, Andrew Painter was the top pitching prospect in baseball before getting injured. He has dealt with the injuries since, but MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis believes he’s a lock to be called up in 2025.
Painter was ranked as the number six prospect in baseball by Pipeline going into 2023 before having to undergo Tommy John surgery missing not only that season but the entirety of 2024. Now, he is pitching in the Arizona Fall League and dominating.
In four starts so far, the right hander has thrown 10 innings, with a 2.70 ERA and 10 strikeouts to just one walk. This is the 21-year-old’s first action since 2022, so this start is very impressive.
“Painter missed the last two seasons with an elbow injury and subsequent Tommy John surgery, but the Phillies right-hander is showing why he was regarded as baseball’s best pitching prospect before he got hurt. He has pounded the strike zone with four quality offerings, including an upper-90s fastball and an upper-80s slider,” Callis said of the pitcher.
Painter’s fastball is considered plus-plus to go along with his plus slider and control.
There were thoughts that Painter would even make the Phillies rotation during Spring Training in 2023 before the injury when he was just 19. Despite the injuries, he’s still one of the best pitching prospects in baseball.
“There’s no doubt that Painter will be in the big leagues in 2025. The two bigger questions are whether he makes the Opening Day roster and how many innings he can log next year,” he wrote of Painter’s future.
A very confident prediction from the prospect writer that shows the talent Painter possesses. However, if he does pitch in the Major Leagues in 2025, it’s all but a guarantee that he won’t pitch the entire year.
Having not pitched in two years, Painter will likely either begin the season in the minors to get some seasoning and build up to being able to air it out in Philadelphia. If he does make the rotation out of camp, it’s safe to say he will be on a strict innings limit.
Andrew Painter has the stuff to be a legitimate front of the rotation pitcher and that could happen sooner rather than later, but he still needs to build up to something like that after missing two full seasons. Regardless, he is someone the Philadelphia Phillies could get excited about.
