Phillies Star Prospect Andrew Painter Flashes Dominant Stuff During First Start

Andrew Painter flashed his dominant stuff in his return to action for the Philadelphia Phillies Single-A affiliate.

Feb 12, 2025; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (76) walks onto the field before the start of a spring training workout at Carpenter Complex / Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies and their fans are going to see Andrew Painter pitching in the big leagues for the first time this year.

When that comes isn't quite known, but the plan is for him to be called up in the summer.

Painter, one of the game's best prospect and the top-ranked minor leaguer in the Phillies' pipeline, made his first return to professional baseball action on Friday.

That comes on the heels of him performing well during the Arizona Fall League, winning the Pitcher of the Year Award where he shook off some early rust to flash some of the stuff that makes him such a coveted youngster.

He continued that in his start at Single-A Clearwater.

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While his final line might not have been overly impressive -- two earned runs on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts across 1 1/3 innings pitched -- how he looked was the most important part of his start.

Painter consistently sat in the upper-90s, touching 100 mph five times out of the 32 pitches he threw. He paired that with some filthy breaking pitches that can be devastating as he further develops.

What Philadelphia is looking for more than anything is that he feels good coming off that start, allowing him to further progress in his rehab that will allow him to climb up the pipeline so he can be ready for his eventual Major League debut.

The plan right now is to have him capped at 35 pitches during his outings that will take place once a week. This will preserve the total numbers of innings he throws before he gets called up.

How Painter performs and recovers during the early part of the season will be a major storyline. But if what he did in his first start since 2022 is any indication of what's to come, the Phillies are going to have another weapon in their rotation if he remains healthy.

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