MLB Pipeline continues to roll out it's pre-season rankings of MLB's top prospects as named by executives around the league, and Philadelphia Phillies number one prospect Andrew Painter is the most notable name in the organization that has made the list.
Painter has been sidelined since late July after having Tommy John reconstructive surgery on his right elbow. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reported in November that Painter hasn't had any setbacks in his recovery, and an update on his availability for this season should become better known during Spring Training.
After not throwing a single pitch at any level in 2023, it says a lot about what rival executives think about Andrew Painter by including him on this list.
Where do rival executives rank Andrew Painter among the best pitching prospects?
Even after a full season on the shelf with elbow problems and later undergoing Tommy John reconstructive surgery, Andrew Painter was voted the second-best pitching prospect in baseball by executives polled by MLB Pipeline.
Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect and No. 1 pick in the 2023 Draft, Paul Skenes, was rated the best young pitcher in this poll and received 59 percent of the votes. Painter, who was voted No. 1 overall in this same poll last year, came in second with 12 percent.
Painter also rates high in best pitching categories
In a ranking of best secondary pitches, Painter was recognized with four percent of the vote for having an elite slider. It's notable that he shares this ranking with fellow Phillies prospect Orion Kerkering, who also received four percent of the vote in MLB Pipeline's poll.
In the category of "best pitchabilty," Painter was voted third and gained 10 percent of the vote, falling behind only Rhett Lowder (17 percent) from the Cincinnati Reds organization and Drew Thorpe (15 percent) from the San Diego Padres farm system.
Painter also received an unspecified number of votes for having one of the best fastballs among MLB prospects. It will be interesting to see how his velocity returns post-Tommy John, but being on this list points to a bright future for the Phillies' top prospect.
Two other Phillies prospects receive votes in MLB Pipeline's poll
As previously reported, Justin Crawford was voted the MLB prospect with the best speed tool in the minor leagues. The Phillies top outfield prospect and son of former major league outfield Carl Crawford also received votes as one of the most underrated prospects in the game by rival executives.
Aidan Miller, the Phillies' No. 1 pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, received 4 percent of the vote, split with six other prospects from other organizations, as the player most likely to have a breakout season this year.
The Phillies farm system is starting to stockpile some serious talent, and it will be fun to watch the development of all of these young guys when the minor league season gets started.