The Philadelphia Phillies are eager to see top pitching prospect Andrew Painter make his MLB debut this summer, but first, he’ll get his feet wet at Triple-A. Painter will make his first-ever start for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs as he continues his comeback from Tommy John surgery, which sidelined him in 2023.
Ranked among MLB Pipeline’s top 10 prospects, Painter is generating more buzz than any Phillies prospect in recent memory. Fortunately for fans, they’ll have the chance to watch the 22-year-old right-hander in action—his Triple-A debut will stream for free on MLB.com at 6:45 p.m. ET as the featured minor league game of the night.
This marks a major step forward, as Painter’s highest level prior to this was Double-A Reading in 2022. Thursday’s outing will give Phillies fans their first real look at his blazing upper-90s fastball and nasty slider as he takes on the Worcester Red Sox, Boston’s Triple-A affiliate, which features elite prospects Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer.
Painter, drafted 13th overall in 2021, has quickly climbed the ranks of prospect lists and remains a consensus top-tier talent despite missing the last two seasons due to injury. He was shut down after feeling elbow discomfort in his first 2023 spring training appearance, which eventually led to surgery.
In his standout 2022 season, the 6’7″ pitcher dominated across three minor league levels—from Low-A Clearwater to High-A Jersey Shore and finally Double-A Reading—posting a remarkable 1.56 ERA, striking out 155, and walking only 25 across 103 2/3 innings. He picked up where he left off in the 2024 Arizona Fall League with a 2.30 ERA over 15 2/3 innings.
The Phillies are carefully managing his workload, as he’s thrown just 11 1/3 innings over four rehab starts with Clearwater this year. Still, Painter is viewed as the organization’s most promising homegrown arm since Aaron Nola, and the Phillies are so high on him they’ve made him off-limits in any trade discussions. With his smooth progression and no signs of regression, his Triple-A debut promises to be another exciting chapter in his rise.