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Timeline for Andrew Painter's Phillies Debut Revealed by MLB Insider

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jon Conahan | Last updated May 10, 2025 3:25 PM ET

All eyes have been on the Philadelphia Phillies' top prospect, Andrew Painter. Painter, who throws a 100-plus miles per hour fastball, is known as one of the top prospects in the game.

However, in his recent start for Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Painter didn't throw the baseball the way he was hoping for on Thursday night.

As Painter continues to work back from surgery, he hopes to continue developing on the mound. Not only to get to the big leagues quicker, but the Phillies are banking on him to be an ace-caliber starter one day.

It remains uncertain when that day will be, but according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, everybody expects it to be sometime soon, with him saying that it's expected to be “soon.”

"Painter is not one. Everyone expects him to be one — and soon," he wrote.

There will be some adversity for Painter, whether at Triple-A or in Major League Baseball.

Entering the big league ranks as a youngster is never easy, despite his prospect status.

There haven't been many players in MLB who have come up in recent years and completely dominated the league, outside of a handful. Even then, the top prospects typically struggle when they make their debut.

The biggest focus for Painter right now is controlling the zone. He has to throw strikes and stay healthy.

Right now, health doesn’t seem to be an issue, but the walks have been a bit concerning at times. If he can consistently attack the zone and get ahead in counts, he should be just fine when the time comes.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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