The Philadelphia Phillies can use all the help they can get heading into another MLB season. The club cannot afford to take a step backward as reigning division champions of the NL East and is being led by its veteran core, which has been kept together for at least another year.
The veterans have carried the team but could use support from the younger players on the roster, especially at the tail-end of the season. Their current minor leaguers are developing in their own MLB journey with some closer to that dream than others. One player who is on the cusp of his debut in 2025 will be the Phillies' No. 1 prospect by MLB Pipeline, Andrew Painter. Painter has been progressing in his throwing program, and a video of his early work has fans giddy for a mid-summer debut.
Andrew Painter's spring training video will have Phillies fans itching for July
Painter is not pitching in spring training games, but getting the chance to pitch in a more controlled setting will continue to advance his rehab. Painter will still get his work in facing Phillies hitters, like on Friday when he threw against live hitters for the first time this year. He faced three MLBers, including second baseman Bryson Stott.
Andrew Painter, facing hitters for the first time in live batting practice. Here vs. Bryson Stott. pic.twitter.com/tJCijSTQeq
— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) March 14, 2025
Painter, who was the Phillies' 13th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Amateur Draft, is working his way back from Tommy John surgery in July 2023 (subscription required) and has been inching his way back ever since, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The Phillies will be cautious with the young stud, as manager Rob Thomson mentioned that Painter will likely get called up around July, barring any setbacks.
The soon-to-be 22-year-old did pitch in the Arizona Fall League last year and pitched to a dazzling 2.30 ERA, which was second-best among qualified pitchers. He also had 18 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings of work with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 18/4. Painter will continue to get work in the minors, but he's off to a great start so far. Painter also was averaging 94-99 mph on his fastball, occasionally touching 100 mph. His four-pitch mix also included a changeup, curveball and a wipeout slider that helped him earn the 2024 Arizona Fall League Pitcher of the Year Award.
Thomson also stated that Painter will be a starter when he comes up and that the club will probably move to a six-man rotation at that time. If Painter is able to duplicate the career 1.48 ERA he has carried in the minors and transition into the majors, it will give other starters some much-needed rest with time winding down until October baseball.
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