Philadelphia Phillies Top Pitching Prospect Will Have All Eyes on Him During Camp

An MLB writer is excited to see this Philadelphia Phillies pitcher back in action at spring training.

Feb 23, 2023; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (76) during photo day at BayCare Ballpark. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are heading into spring training this year with one of the best starting rotations in baseball.

At the top is the 2024 NL Cy Young Award runner-up, Zack Wheeler, followed by the reliable Aaron Nola. All-Stars Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez will follow those two along with the team’s offseason acquisition, Jesus Luzardo.

Veteran Taijuan Walker remains on the roster and could function as depth piece or a swingman along with free agent signing Joe Ross.

That depth is one of the main reasons why their top prospect, Andrew Painter, is not being fully unleashed out of the gate in 2024.

In the conversation as the best pitching prospect in the game, the Phillies are excited about his future. He looked like he had the inside track to a spot on the Major League roster when he debuted at their big league camp in 2023.

Unfortunately, the one appearance he made that year was the last time he took the mound in a competitive setting prior to the Arizona Fall League a few months ago.

Painter suffered an elbow injury that eventually required Tommy John surgery and kept him sidelined for two seasons.

He looked good in his return to the mound, pitching 15.2 innings and recording a 2.30 ERA despite the hitter-friendly conditions in the AFL.

And now people are excited to see what is next, as Keith Law of The Athletic selected him as one of his top 30 Rookie of the Year candidates whom he is looking forward to seeing in spring training.

There is a chance Painter doesn’t throw in any games in the Grapefruit League, as they want to ensure he can contribute on the field when it matter most during the postseason.

His future will assuredly be as a starting pitcher, but Philadelphia could deploy him as a multi-inning reliever late in the season as a unique weapon out of the bullpen.

Knowing there will be some kind of limit on his workload in 2025, the fact Law still believes Painter has Rookie of the Year potential speaks volumes to just how talented of a pitcher he is.

Of course, things could always change depending on how the campaign unfolds for the team.

If there is any injury or ineffectiveness in the starting rotation, Painter could be the first person the organization turns to to fill the void before his expected debut date later in the summer.

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