Phillies Have Good Problem on Thier Hands With Future of Top Pitching Prospect

What should the Philadelphia Phillies do with their top pitching prospect this season?

Jul 28, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (59) looks on from the dugout before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field. | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

As the Philadelphia Phillies separate themselves from the New York Mets a bit in the National League East, they might have a secret weapon for the stretch run.

With the Mets starting to stumble, the Phillies have been able to get some breathing room in the NL East, finally. This division has been a tight one, and Philadelphia would certainly like to avoid a potential Wild Card series.

For much of the season, the Phillies have been led by one of the best rotations in baseball. Zack Wheeler is once again having a Cy Young-caliber year for Philadelphia, but he’s got a lot of help around him as well.

The trio of southpaws in Christopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, and Ranger Suarez has been excellent this campaign, with all three proving to be front-end caliber starters. Even though Aaron Nola has missed a majority of the season now, Taijuan Walker has stepped up and been a productive pitcher.

Phillies Plan for Andrew 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

With the rotation seemingly only to get strong when Nola returns from injury, one player who figured to be in their plans this year has yet to make an impact.

Bradford Doolittle of ESPN recently wrote about the lingering concern for the Phillies being what the plan is for their star pitching prospect, Andrew Painter.

“His recent outings have been solid, but he's still not putting up his pre-injury strikeout numbers. He's a secret weapon at this point. Painter might not appear in the regular season but make the postseason roster anyway.”

Painter was certainly a name that was mentioned at the trade deadline, with Philadelphia looking to make some improvements. However, despite the team making a blockbuster trade for Jhoan Duran, they were able to hold on to their star prospect.

For much of the year, the plan was for him to come up to the Majors at some point during the summer. So far, that opportunity has yet to come, and he has still been pitching in the minors.

In 2025, Painter has totaled a 4.75 ERA in 83.1 innings pitched. While the overall numbers don’t jump off the page, the right-hander has been better of late and is working his way back after missing a ton of time due to injury.

Where he fits in the Phillies’ potential plans will be interesting going forward. While a spot should open up in the rotation for him next year, Philadelphia might try to get him a taste of the Majors by using him in the bullpen for the playoffs.

This is a unit that has improved, but the addition of a pitcher like Painter could provide a spark. While the plan for him this year might be considered a concern, it’s a good problem to have for Philadelphia.