Phillies’ No. 1 prospect nearing MLB promotion

With the Philadelphia Phillies aiming to make the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, it sounds like the club is nearing a promotion for one of its top prospects. It may just be in perfect timing, as the club is 17-14 through 31 games played and is 3.5 games behind the New York Mets in the NL East.

Reports indicate that right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter, the Phillies’ No. 1 prospect, is nearing a promotion to the majors, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Not only is Painter the organization’s top prospect, but he’s also the No. 7-ranked prospect overall in the MLB Top 100 Prospects list. Painter’s next start will be his season debut for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

“Andrew Painter’s next start is at Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Thursday. Phillies feel like it’s time to ramp up the competition. He threw 11 1/3 innings in four starts at Low A with 12 Ks and 1 BB.”

Painter, who is 22 years of age, was a first-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft. He would have reached the majors sooner, however, he received an elbow injury that forced him to have Tommy John Surgery in July of 2023.

Expectations are high for the Phillies‘ prospect pitcher, as the 6-foot-7 phenom utilizes an arsenal featuring a fastball, a curveball, a slider, and a changeup. His fastball is capable of reaching 100 miles per hour, and his slider is said to move similarly to a cutter.

Painter will eventually bring some heat to the Phillies’ rotation and could play a huge role once he makes his MLB debut. Whenever the club decides to call Painter up to the bigs, he’ll join a rotation consisting of Zack Wheeler, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sanchez, and Taijuan Walker.

The Phillies may choose to ease Painter into the rotation and limit his pitch count, which is typical for rookie pitchers when they first enter the league. Until then, Painter will continue developing at the Triple-A level until he’s ready.