Heading into the 2025 season, Philadelphia Phillies fans are patiently waiting for the debut of top pitching prospect Andrew Painter.
Painter, drafted in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft, is the top prospect in the Phillies’ farm system and the eighth-best prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline.
The 21-year-old starting pitcher looked on track to make his major league debut in 2023, but Tommy John surgery sidelined Painter for that season and 2024. However, Painter got back on the mound in the Arizona Fall League last fall and is down at Spring Training in Clearwater, FL, making progress for the 2025 season.
Painter pitched well in the Arizona Fall League, recording 18 strikeouts in 15.2 innings pitched and hitting 99 mph on the radar gun.
According to John Clark of NBC Sports, the 21-year-old pitching prospect was seen throwing on Tuesday in Clearwater. Clark adds that Painter will throw a bullpen very soon and hopefully join the starting rotation for the first time midseason.
Painter has not pitched in a single game during Spring Training as the Phillies work to prepare him for the 2025 season. Before he got hurt, Painter was dominating in the minors as he had a 6-2 record and 1.56 ERA across all three levels.
The last time we saw Painter pitching in the minors was in Double-A Reading, where he had a 2-1 record and 2.54 ERA in five starts.
The former first-round pick is on the Phillies’ Spring Breakout roster but will not appear in Friday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reported that the 6-foot-7 starting pitcher has been throwing bullpens and won’t face live hitters until extended Spring Training. Painter will likely head to the minors to start the regular season, but it's only a matter of time before he’ll pitch in front of the fans at Citizens Bank Park.