Why you should buy Andrew Painter Cards now
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Before Paul Skenes, before Jacob Misiorowski, before Chase Burns, there was Andrew Painter.
Almost instantly after being selected by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 13th overall selection in the 2021 draft, Painter became one of the most talented arms in all of Minor League Baseball. In his first full season of professional baseball, the right-hander pitched to a 1.56 ERA in 103.2 innings across Low-A, High-A, and Double A. His performance that season landed him as the 5th-ranked prospect in all of baseball heading into the 2023 season by Baseball America.
However, Painter started to have discomfort in his elbow that ultimately ended up with him getting Tommy John surgery in the summer of 2023, sidelining him for the remainder of that season and all of 2024. Painter returned to the mound during the 2024 Arizona Fall League, a place where the top prospects get to showcase themselves during the offseason and recorded a 2.30 ERA in 15.2 innings with 18 strikeouts.
Through his first 16 starts in 2025, Painter has not looked as sharp with a 4.84 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A with 71 strikeouts in 67 innings. While the numbers look unsettling for Phillies fans, the pitcher is still viewed as a high-end prospect who could debut sooner rather than later for a Phillies team looking to make a playoff push.
Painter's card market is one of the more unique stories. Painter's "1st Bowman" autographs came in 2021 Bowman Draft following him being taken by Philadelphia, being viewed as one of the more sought-after cards alongside fellow draftees Marcelo Mayer, Jordan Lawlar, and Jackson Jobe.
Once Painter was out of the spotlight with injury, he did not have any autographs from 2023-2024, leaving his "1st Bowman" autograph as one of the top cards of the pitcher. While there are not many recent sales of his "1st Bowman" autograph, whether due to scarcity or lack of demand, the most recent sale of the card sold for $800 on May 18. Along with the "1st Bowman" autograph, a "Class of 2021" insert autograph in an SGC 9.5 sold for $255 on June 26.
Once Painter reemerged on the mound, so did his cards. In 2025 Bowman, he had sticker autographs in the product on the paper stock with no on-card autographs. His 2025 autographs were selling between $30-60 according to eBay sold listings upon the relesae of the product, but have dwindled down to sell between $20-30.
While it remains to be seen how Painter will pitch down the stretch of the season or even when he will earn the promotion to the Major Leagues, even at just 22 years old, Painter still has plenty of talent and the makings of the next young ace following a long line of such to debut in the big leagues over the last two seasons.
Dan Gardella is a Red Sox fan and collector growing up in Yankee territory in Connecticut. While only reviving his love for the hobby a few years ago, he provides knowledge into baseball cards from prospects to the big leagues.
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