The Phillies hoped to see Andy Painter stay healthy, pitch without pain, and flash some velocity in the Arizona Fall League. Modest goals. After all, Painter's AFL stint represented the 21-year-old's first game action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2023.
But Painter did all that and more, winning the AFL's Pitcher of the Year award on Saturday.
ANDREW PAINTER 2024 ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE PITCHER OF THE YEAR
- 15.2 IP | 10 H | 4 R | 4 BB | 18 K | 2.30 ERA | 0.89 WHIP | .189 BA | 10.34 K/9 | 2.30 BB/9
- Threw 68% of the pitches for strike
- He should pitch around 100 IP in 2025 between AAA & ML
đź“· #Phillies #RingTheBell pic.twitter.com/NLYXAuky07
"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 his final AFL outing. “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."
Painter relentlessly pounded the strike zone in his outings, leading the AFL in efficiency by averaging 13.98 pitches per inning.
Phillies farm director Luke Murton was effusive in his praise for the young pitcher: "“I’ve done a lot of scouting. I saw the top arms in the draft this year. I saw Jackson Jobe pitch this year. I’ve seen the cream of the crop. From my perspective, Painter would be the top pitching prospect.
"He didn’t miss a beat. He has arm strength, he spins two breaking balls, he gets swings and misses, he throws strikes and limits damage. He has the talent and the ability to execute. He has the stuff, and he has command.
"Painter’s the type of kid, he’s not only very talented, he’s a really hard worker. He did everything on the rehab front to prepare him. When you get a healthy Andrew Painter, who is ultra-talented, he was able to go out there and show what he’s capable of doing."
Andrew Painter’s @Phillies final pitch in the 2024 @MLBazFallLeague is a strikeout fastball to @Royals Carter Jensen. Phenomenal showing the AFL for Painter. #ProspectOne pic.twitter.com/lcjb0o0nCg
The Phillies will still bring Painter along gradually, according to president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski:
"The discussion is, 'What vicinity of innings do we think we have and how do we want to use those innings?' That's really what it comes down to. Because you know it's not going to be 180 [innings] . . . My instincts tell me you really want him available later in the year to pitch because he's so important for you in that regard."
While we may not know the club's exact plans for Painter just yet, two things seem clear: he will pitch in the major leagues this season, and he's likely to pitch well.
