Andrew Painter

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Andrew Patrick Painter

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Biographical Information[edit]

Pitcher Andrew Painter was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies with the 13th pick of the 2021 amateur draft, out of a high school in Fort Lauderdale, FL. At 6' 7", he was a towering presence on the mound and was considered to be someone who would not require a long minor league apprenticeship on his way to the Show, even if two other high school pitchers had been drafted ahead of him in Jackson Jobe and Frank Mozzicato. He had been a member of the USA's U-15 national team in 2018.

He began his pro career the year he was drafted with 4 starts for the FCL Phillies, pitching a total of 6 innings without allowing a run. In 2022, things began in earnest as he went 6-2, 1.56 in 22 starts spread out among three teams and leagues - the Clearwater Threshers of the Florida State League, the Jersey Shore BlueClaws of the South Atlantic League, and the Reading Fightin' Phils of the Eastern League. Making it to AA at 19 and barely a year out of high school was quite a feat in itself, and the fact he held his own at that level against much more experienced competition was another remarkable thing. Overall, he struck out 155 batters in 103 2/3 innings while giving up just 67 hits and 25 walks. He was named the Minor League Pitcher of the Year by Baseball America and the Phillies' minor league Pitcher of the Year by MLB Pipeline. He was also an Eastern League All-Star and a Phillies organizational All-Star.

Following his breakthrough season, there was talk heading into 2023 that he could potentially start the year in the Phillies' starting rotation, especially after he hit 99 mph on the radar gun during a Grapefruit League game. However, he complained of elbow tenderness shortly afterwards and was placed on the injured list on April 5th. He eventually missed the entire season and underwent Tommy John surgery that July. He only returned to action in the Arizona Fall League in 2024. In 2025, the Phillies first assigned him to the Clearwater to get him used to pitching competitively in the minors again, then after four games he was promoted to the AAA Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He was named to the National League team for the 2025 Futures Game, but opted out of the game. Overall, he made 26 starts and went 5-8, 5.26, logging 118 innings. He gave up a lot of traffic on the bases - 129 hits and 47 walks, but he did strike out 123 opponents.

Having yet to make his major league debut, he made the Phillies' Opening Day roster for the 2026 season. He was set to start the team's fifth game of the year on March 31st, against the Washington Nationals. That game was a gem as he limited the Nats to just 1 run in 5 1/3 innings, allowing 4 hits and 1 walk while striking out 8, and received credit for his first career win which came by a 3-2 final score.

Further Reading[edit]

  • Paul Casella: "Painter getting tests after elbow tenderness", mlb.com, March 4, 2024. [1]
  • Sam Dykstra: "Painter, Abel, McGarry form Phils' future rotation core", mlb.com, March 15, 2023. [2]
  • Jonathan Mayo: "Phils' Painter named Pipeline Pitcher of the Year", mlb.com, October 3, 2022. [3]
  • Todd Zolecki: "Teenager Painter in the running for Phillies rotation spot", mlb.com, February 16, 2023. [4]
  • Todd Zolecki: "Touching 99 mph, Painter earns widespread praise", mlb.com, March 1, 2023. [5]
  • Todd Zolecki: "Painter leaves mark on AFL as comeback begins", mlb.com, November 16, 2024. [6]
  • Todd Zolecki: "Andrew Painter's clubhouse mentor? How about an old pickleball rival", mlb.com, February 23, 2026. [7]
  • Todd Zolecki: "Painter to make Phillies' Opening Day roster; MLB debut set for March 31: 22-year-old right-hander is MLB Pipeline's No. 28 overall prospect", mlb.com, March 20, 2026. [8]
  • Todd Zolecki: 2Painter's masterpiece of a debut all the Phils and the fans could have hoped for", mlb.com, March 31, 2026. [9]

Related Sites[edit]

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