The ball club announced that Andrew Painter is one of 23 non-roster invitees, per Mark Feinsand. However, the Phillies will certainly be cautious with his workload after missing most of 2023 and all of the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Philadelphia drafted Painter in the first round (13th overall) in the 2021 draft out of Calvary Christian HS in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The 21-year-old posted a 1.56 ERA across three levels in 2022, striking out a mind-boggling 155 hitters in 103.2 innings of work. He held opponents to a measly .181 average while also posting a 6-2 record. Painter was promoted as high as Double-A Reading. While the last two years have been derailed by injuries, Painter returned with a bang in the Arizona Fall League.
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In 15 games for the Glendale Desert Dogs a few months ago, the No. 32 prospect in all of baseball dominated, posting a 2.30 ERA in 15.2 innings. He struck out 18 and surrendered just four walks. Painter’s fastball worked in the 94-99 mph range. The Phillies farmhand stands at 6 foot 7 as well, which means he gets fantastic downhill plane on his heater. Painter showcased quality off-speed stuff as well, throwing a changeup, curveball, and a newly introduced slider.
“Coming in here, I just wanted to compete and get a feel for my stuff, feel confident going into ’25 and walk out healthy,” Painter said after the AFL, via MLB.com. “It felt great. You can’t simulate it in bullpens and everything back at the complex. The adrenaline kicked in and did its part. Everything felt good and I feel really good moving forward.”
Despite being just 21, Painter has a legitimate chance at making his MLB debut in 2025. After all, Dave Dombrowski already said he expects Painter to have a role in Philadelphia this season. But, for now, he’ll be strictly focused on making his presence felt in Clearwater. Pitchers and catchers report in about a month.
