Fantasy Baseball Prospect Watch: Andrew Painter, Chase Burns Headline Top Pitchers In Week 9

Several top pitching prospects are heating up in the minors and could be knocking on the door of MLB rotations soon. From Andrew Painter’s high-octane fastball to Chase Burns’ dominance at Double-A, these young arms could make fantasy-relevant impacts in the coming weeks.

Starting Pitchers

Andrew Painter, Philadelphia Phillies

In his last outing (5/21) at AAA, Painter allowed a run, three hits, and a walk over four innings with seven strikeouts. He threw 71 pitches with 49 resulting in strikes. His average fastball came in at 97.0 mph. Over seven rehab appearances, Painter has a 3.09 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and 27 strikeouts over 23.1 innings.

Andrew Painter’s career minor league stats are insane 🤯.

33 GS | 133.0 IP | 90 H | 26 ER | 8 HR | 32 BB | 194 K | 1.76 ERA | 0.91 WHIP

Painter is only a few starts away from joining the Phillies!pic.twitter.com/V5m6iQQAlx
— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) May 23, 2025

If Aaron Nola doesn’t return from his ankle injury next week, the Phillies could replace Taijuan Walker with Painter at home against the Brewers.

Brandon Woodruff, Milwaukee Brewers

After battling soreness in his right ankle, Woodruff made his fifth AAA appearance this week. He tossed four shutout innings on Wednesday (5/21) with three hits, two walks, and two strikeouts while throwing 59 pitches. The velocity on his fastball has been down in back-to-back games (90.7 and 91.4), which could be a red flag when Woodruff returns to Milwaukee.

Over his seven rehab appearances, he has a 2.43 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, and 27 strikeouts over 29.2 innings.

Jacob Misiorowski, Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers hooked Misiorowski after three innings in his last appearance (one run, four baserunners, and a home run with four strikeouts). He threw 54 pitches, 36 for strikes. Over his previous six games at AAA, Misiorowski allowed three runs, 18 hits, and two home runs over 33.2 innings with eight walks and 42 strikeouts.

His average fastball (97.8 mph) has been elite all season, leading to 34 strikeouts over 93 at-bats. On the downside, 15 of his 23 walks this season have come via his four-seamer.

Joe Boyle, Tampa Bay Rays

For the second time this season, Boyle lost his command, leading to a down game (two runs, four hits, and four walks over four innings with five strikeouts). He has a 1.76 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 44 strikeouts over 41.0 innings at AAA.

JR Ritchie, Atlanta Braves

In his first start at AA after his promotion, Ritchie had a step back in his command (five walks) over four innings, but he only allowed two runs and two hits with three strikeouts. His arm was electric over his first seven games at High A (1.30 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and 38 strikeouts over 41.2 innings). Ritchie’s highlight game came on May 10th, when he pitched a complete game shutout with one hit and nine strikeouts.

Emperor JR Ritchie, ruler of nine innings 👑

The @Braves prospect fans nine and allows just one knock in a shutout for @GoEmperors. pic.twitter.com/Ua1BlBXdff
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 11, 2025

Chase Burns, Cincinnati Reds

After opening the season at High A (3.09 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts over 11.2 innings), Burns has shined over his five games at AA. He allowed one run in each matchup, leading to a 1.88 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 35 strikeouts over 24.0 innings. Over this span, he allowed only three walks. Burns looks poised to jump AAA if Cincinnati needs another starter.

Hagen Smith, Chicago White Sox

Command (22 walks over 33.1) has been an issue for Smith to start his minor league career. On the positive side, he has been challenging to hit at AA (.133 BAA) with an elite strikeout rate (14.7). Smith has a 2.10 ERA, 1.208 WHIP, and 42 strikeouts over 25.2 innings this season.

Travis Sykora, Washington Nationals

After a successful season at A ball in 2024 (2.86 ERA, 0.906 WHIP, and 129 strikeouts over 85.0 innings), Sykora missed the start of this year with a hip injury. He’s made three dominating short appearances (one run, five baserunners, and 18 strikeouts over eight innings) between rookie ball and single-A over the past three weeks, leading to a quick promotion to AA. His fastball has high-90s upside while featuring a swing-and-miss split changeup. A job in Washington isn’t that far off.