Philadelphia Phillies Manager Offers Excellent News Regarding Top Pitching Prospect

Painter missed the 2023 and 2024 seasons because of Tommy John surgery - and his recovery from it. Still just 22 years old, he's the No. 5 prospect in baseball, and he's the top pitching prospect. The hope is that he can be an answer for the Phillies this season as they chase a World Series ring, either as a starter or as an elite bullpen arm.

So far, Painter has made five rehab appearances between Single-A and Triple-A, totaling 14.1 innings. He's 0-2 with a 3.14 ERA, surrendering 11 hits in those 14.1 innings. He has 17 strikeouts, and he just struck out Roman Anthony on Thursday. Anthony is the No. 1 prospect in the sport.

The following comes from a portion of his MLB.com prospect profile:

Painter misses bats with all four offerings, and while his fastball command was understandably a bit scattered at times given his long layoff, he continued to astound with his ability to pound the strike zone thanks to a simple and repeatable delivery. Even with all the time away, Painter will be just 22 years old for the 2025 season and ready to pick up where he left off before the injury.