Scouting Report

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Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50

There are high school pitchers who garner a lot of attention because of huge raw stuff, and there are prep arms who have an advanced feel for pitching. When the two come together in one prospect, there’s the chance for something special. Painter showed off that exciting combination of raw stuff and feel for pitching at a number of showcase events over the summer to establish himself as one of the best high school pitchers in the 2021 Draft class. He did nothing to dampen those expectations, striking out 54 percent of the batters he faced during his senior year en route to Gatorade state high school player of the year honors.

Painter delivers a legitimate four-pitch mix from a 6-foot-6 frame and has a very advanced feel for his gameplan on the mound. He typically sits in the 93-95 mph range and touches 96 with his fastball. He utilizes both a two- and four-seamer and likes to elevate to get swings and misses up in the zone. He throws both a 12-to-6 type curveball in the upper 70s and a mid-80s slider, and he flashed a potentially plus changeup over the summer.

Despite his size, Painter is very athletic on the mound and repeats his delivery extremely well, throwing all four pitches for strikes with a chance he’ll have plus control and command in the future. And while he’s already strong, there’s projection in his frame, and he could throw harder as he matures. Committed to Florida, Painter should be one of the first high school pitchers to come off the board in July.

Video scouting report »

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 65 | Overall: 55

Thought to be the second-best high school right-hander in the 2021 Draft, Painter was the taken in the first round that summer behind Jackson Jobe. He leapt to the head of the pitching prospect ranks with an outstanding first full season of pro ball in 2022, reaching Double-A and being named MLB Pipeline Pitching Prospect of the Year. He appeared to be on a fast track to Philadelphia when an elbow injury shut him down early in 2023, and his Tommy John surgery in late July will keep him out for the 2024 season, though he was throwing bullpens in July.

The fact that Painter is still regarded as one of the best pitching prospects in the game while on the sidelines is a testament to his ability. His combination of stuff, size and feel for pitching add to the faith in him, with a legitimate four-pitch mix at his disposal. His fastball can touch triple digits and was averaging around 96 mph at the end of 2022, and he throws both a sinking two-seamer as well as a high-spin four-seamer up in the zone. His slider is an out pitch, a low-80s offering with a ton of break and huge spin rates. His upper-70s curve provides a different look, and his above-average changeup has really improved.

All coming from his 6-foot-7 frame, Painter does an amazing job of repeating his delivery well, enabling him to fill up the zone while missing a ton of bats. He was knocking on the big league door when the injury occurred, so don’t be surprised to see him get there again quickly once he’s healthy, and it’s important to note that even with the missed time, he’ll be just 22 years old for the entire 2025 season when he’s expected to return.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 70 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 65 | Overall: 55

The general rule of thumb is that high school pitchers need a little more time to develop, with the leap from the prep to the pro game a large one. There are exceptions to the rule, with Painter currently making for an outstanding Exhibit A. The Florida high schooler went in the middle of the first round of the 2021 Draft and was absolutely dominant across three levels of the Minors in his first full season, reaching Double-A and earning MLB Pipeline Pitching Prospect of the Year honors in the process. He wasn’t able to follow up that success in 2024 as an elbow injury initially suffered in Spring Training eventually resulted in elbow reconstruction surgery in late July.

Prior to the injury, Painter had become one of the best pitching prospects in the game thanks to his combination of his size (6-foot-7), stuff and command. He has a four-pitch mix, with three of them having the potential to be plus offerings. It starts with a fastball that now touches triple digits and was averaging over 96 mph even at the end of his first full season, and he can sink a two-seamer as well as elevate a four-seamer with good spin rates up in the zone to miss bats. His slider has become his best secondary offering, a low-80s, high-spin pitch with a ton of break. He can fold in an upper-70s curve and had an above-average changeup that took a nice step forward during his ascent in 2022.

Painter has shown he can miss a ton of bats, striking out 13.5 per nine in 2022 while repeating his delivery very well to fill up the strike zone, walking just 2.2 per nine. It looked like he was ready to knock on the big league door and start his ascension to frontline starter status after reaching the upper levels well ahead of most schedules, but a sprained UCL in his right elbow suffered in Spring Training delayed the start of his 2023 season, but now Phillies fans will have to wait for him to rehab post-surgery to see him reach his potential in the big leagues.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55

For two years in a row, the Phillies went big high school right-hander with their first-round pick, taking Mick Abel from the Pacific Northwest in 2020, then going down to Florida to nab Painter with the No. 13 overall selection in the 2021 Draft. The Gatorade Florida high school player of the year brings exciting size, stuff and feel for pitching to the system. He made a strong, albeit brief, impression during his pro debut, striking out 12 and walking none over six innings in the Florida Complex League.

Painter stands at 6-foot-7 and has the chance to boast at least three offerings that are above-average or better. His fastball sits easily in the mid-90s and is trending upwards, touching 97-98 mph at the outset of his pro career. It comes out of his hand very easily and he’ll both sink his two-seamer and elevate his four-seamer to miss bats up. His true upper-70s curve is a tick ahead of his mid-80s slider, though the slider has the chance to catch up and give him two distinct breaking pitches that flash plus. He has feel for a solid changeup and that was a point of focus for him during his time in instructional league play last year.

While some might worry about Painter’s size, he repeats his delivery very well and can land all four offerings in the strike zone. He can still add strength, with more in the tank to come, giving him the chance to join the top pitching prospects in baseball as he progresses through the Phillies system.

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 50

Painter’s combination of big stuff and advanced feel for pitching put him high up on the radar, especially after showing off both at a number of showcase events last summer, establishing himself as one of the best high school pitchers in the 2021 Draft class. He pitched well enough to earn Gatorade state high school player of the year honors this spring and to become the second prep right-hander to be selected in the first round when the Phillies took him No. 13 overall and signed him for $3.9 million.

Painter delivers a legitimate four-pitch mix from a 6-foot-6 frame and has a very advanced feel for his gameplan on the mound. He typically sits in the 93-95 mph range and touches 96 with his fastball. He utilizes both a two- and four-seamer and likes to elevate to get swings and misses up in the zone. He throws both a 12-to-6 type curveball in the upper 70s and a mid-80s slider, and he flashed a potentially plus changeup over the summer.

Despite his size, Painter is very athletic on the mound and repeats his delivery extremely well, throwing all four pitches for strikes with a chance he’ll have plus control and command in the future. And while he’s already strong, there’s projection in his frame, and he could throw harder as he matures, allowing Phillies fans the chance to dream of a Painter-Mick Abel combination at the top of a future rotation.

Awards

MiLB.com Organization All-Star

Year	Team
2022

Baseball America Minor League Pitcher of the Year

Year	Team
2022

Baseball America Minor League All-Star

Year	Team
2022

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	10/11/2024	Reading Fightin Phils activated RHP Andrew Painter.
	10/11/2024	RHP Andrew Painter assigned to Glendale Desert Dogs.
	03/20/2024	Reading Fightin Phils placed RHP Andrew Painter on the 60-day injured list.
	11/06/2023	Reading Fightin Phils activated RHP Andrew Painter.
	08/01/2023	RHP Andrew Painter roster status changed by Reading Fightin Phils.
	04/06/2023	Reading Fightin Phils transferred RHP Andrew Painter from the 7-day injured list to the 60-day injured list.
	04/05/2023	Reading Fightin Phils placed RHP Andrew Painter on the 7-day injured list.
	01/24/2023	RHP Andrew Painter roster status changed by Philadelphia Phillies.
	01/24/2023	Philadelphia Phillies invited non-roster RHP Andrew Painter to spring training.
	08/21/2022	RHP Andrew Painter assigned to Reading Fightin Phils from Jersey Shore BlueClaws.
	08/21/2022	Reading Fightin Phils placed RHP Andrew Painter on the reserve list.
	08/14/2022	Jersey Shore BlueClaws transferred RHP Andrew Painter to the Development List.
	07/02/2022	Jersey Shore BlueClaws activated RHP Andrew Painter.
	06/21/2022	Jersey Shore BlueClaws transferred RHP Andrew Painter to the Development List.
	06/06/2022	RHP Andrew Painter assigned to Jersey Shore BlueClaws from Clearwater Threshers.
	04/08/2022	RHP Andrew Painter assigned to Clearwater Threshers.
	09/30/2021	RHP Andrew Painter and assigned to Phillies Organization.
	09/30/2021	RHP Andrew Painter assigned to Phillies Organization.
	09/03/2021	RHP Andrew Painter assigned to FCL Phillies.
	08/17/2021	RHP Andrew Painter assigned to Phillies Organization.
	07/17/2021	Philadelphia Phillies signed free agent RHP Andrew Painter to a minor league contract.
	06/16/2020	RHP Andrew Painter assigned to PG National 5 - Green.
	06/16/2020	RHP Andrew Painter assigned to PG National 5 - Green.
	07/19/2019	RHP Andrew Painter assigned to UA National.