Phillies' Premier Pitching Prospect has been Struggling in Triple-A

Once considered for a 2025 call-up, pitcher Andrew Painter has been getting hard lately while pitching for Lehigh Valley

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 Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

2025 was supposed to be a breakthrough year for Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Andrew Painter. The 22-year-old righthanded starter was considered one of the gems of the franchise's farm system and was named the organization's Minor League Player of the Year in 2022.

After being sidelined with an elbow injury that forced him to have Tommy John surgery in 2023, he rallied back and was mentioned often as one of the team's prospects who would likely crack the big club's roster this season. He represented the Phillies in the 2025 MLB Futures game, and some fans and observers thought that Painter might be a September call-up to the big club.

Instead, he has struggled down the stretch, as evidenced by his latest outing. Starting against the Toledo Mud Hens on Wednesday, Painter gave up 10 hits and seven runs (six earned) in 5.1 innings. It's the fourth time in his past six starts that he's given up five or more runs.

Painter is now 4-5, 5.62 on the season for Lehigh Valley. He’s allowed 109 hits in 97.2 innings, with 99 strikeouts and 44 walks. Those are hardly the kinds of numbers that warrant a promotion, particularly for a Major League team that's almost certain to be fighting it out for the National League's best record down the stretch.

The Phillies Aren't Panicking Over Painter

Feb 20, 2025; Clearwater, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Andrew Painter (76) participates in media day at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Despite the rocky road that Painter has been traveling on, the club still has faith in the budding star. Manager Rob Thomson discussed the prospect's problematic season as part of a normal maturation process. He believes that a little adversity now will help the hurler in the long run.

"A lot of guys go through high school, college, even sometimes in the minor leagues, where they don't have any failure," Thomson stated. "And then, all of a sudden, they get to the big leagues and fail for the first time, and they really don't know how to get out of it."

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