Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter dominates in Double-A debut

Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter continues to dominate in the minors.

As the Philadelphia Phillies finished a disappointing series against the National League East-leading New York Mets, pitching prospect Andrew Painter remained a bright spot in his Double-A debut.

Painter was recently promoted from High-A Jersey Shore and made his first start in a Double-A Reading Fightin Phils uniform on Sunday. The much-anticipated start went according to plan.

Just 19 years old, Painter pitched six innings of three-hit baseball — while striking out eight opposing batters:

Phillies fans have some optimism for future starting pitchers — with Mick Abel, who pitched well in his Double-A debut, Griff McGarry, and Painter “waiting in the wings.” Painter remains the most intriguing because of his age and the progress he has made. The young pitcher out of Florida has been impressive since being drafted by the Phillies in the first round of last year’s draft.

Since joining the organization, Painter has dominated his minor-league opposition. He is possibly the most exciting Phillies pitching prospect in recent years. After posting an impressive 0.98 ERA and 49 strikeouts over 36 2/3 innings with High-A Jersey Shore, Painter continued his success in his Double-A debut on Sunday.

Painter’s ERA is impressive, however, his strikeouts-to-walks ratio is even more mesmerizing — especially at his young age. Young pitchers are rated on success based on “stuff” and command. Painter has shown the ability to strike out batters in every level of professional baseball that he has competed in and has flourished.

It is not realistic to see any of the Double-A star-studded rotation make the major league club this year, but there is a reason for optimism going forward. The Phils have to continue to develop and challenge pitchers like Painter to test their major-league readiness. The Phillies farm system has been difficult to trust in the past few years, but prospects such as Painter should give fans some hope.