The Phillies top two prospects have been named to MLB Pipeline's top 100 prospect list.
Major League Baseball recently released its 2023 Top 100 Prospects list, and two rising Philadelphia Phillies minor-league pitchers were included — right-handers Andrew Painter (ranked No. 6) and Mick Abel (No. 48).
Given top Phillies prospect Painter has received several awards and recognition as of late, it should come as no surprise that he was ranked nearly at the top of the list. Just recently, he was named the top right-handed pitching prospect in baseball and was also ranked highly by Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus.
Congrats to Andrew Painter (@Andypainterr) and Mick Abel (@mickabel13) on all of their rankings! 👏 pic.twitter.com/Kc2zyFW6qB
— Phillies Player Development (@PhilsPlayerDev) January 27, 2023
Painter finished the 2022 season with a 1.56 ERA and a .89 WHIP. He also had 155 strikeouts and just 25 walks in 103 2/3 innings. The fact that he will begin 2023 at just 19 years old makes his accomplishments even more impressive. While Painter is being ranked as a top prospect, it would not be surprising to see him crack the Opening Day roster if he pitches well in spring training. Dave Dombrowski has hinted that as a possibility this offseason.
Abel is the Phillies' No. 2-ranked prospect. He also showed flashes of dominance in 2022, finishing the season with a 3.90 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 108 1/3 innings. However, Abel's ERA was higher than Painter's due to his questionable command at times. He walked 50 batters and had a WHIP of 1.33, indicating that he allowed many more men to reach base.
At just 21 years old, Abel's lack of control is to be expected. Unfortunately, he is being compared to Painter who has demonstrated incredible control for such a young player. While it seems like it is almost a given that Phillies fans will see Painter pitch in Philadelphia in 2023, it would not be surprising if Abel was close behind.
It is rare for a team to have such talented pitching prospects. Much of the credit goes to the franchise's revamped player development system. The Phillies have a ton of pitching potential in the minors and hope to rely on them for young and cheap options moving forward.