Prominent Analyst Doesn't Think Andrew Painter Is Ready for MLB Just Yet

The prospect scene for the Philadelphia Phillies is still buzzing after what Mick Abel did.

Once a highly-coveted minor leaguer in his own right, the bloom was off the rose a bit after what took place in 2024 when he struggled mightily at the Triple-A level to the point where he was placed on the developmental list.

But Abel rebounded and delivered a historic MLB debut, getting fans excited for what's to come later in the season when their superstar pitching prospect Andrew Painter gets called up.

However, prominent prospect analyst Keith Law of The Athletic (subscription required) threw some cold water on the notion that Painter is ready for The Show.

"... I don't think he's ready to step into a big-league rotation right now. The slider is a work in progress, clearly, and I was disappointed not to see the changeup at all. He went to the slider in changeup counts against lefties the entire night, with mixed results," he wrote after seeing Painter pitch on May 21.

During that outing, the right-hander dazzled in the box score, striking out seven batters in four innings pitched where he gave up just one earned run on three hits with a walk.

Those numbers look great on paper -- and his 2.25 ERA in three Triple-A starts is exciting -- but what Law points out is something that needs to be taken into account before he's called up to the Majors.

Painter's fastball will play with his high velocity, and his curveball is a devasting pitch. But it's hard to be a starting pitcher with just an arsenal of two, especially if he's going to throw meaningful innings during the playoffs like expected.

The good news is Painter isn't supposed to be a finished product right now.

He's only made seven professional starts since his comeback from Tommy John surgery which had him on the shelf for two years.

There is still plenty of development that needs to take place, and since he's not expected to get promoted until some time in July, that gives him more time to harness the slider and changeup to create a more effective array of pitches.

"The fastball plays, and the curveball is a widowmaker. I'm not convinced he needs a slider, but if the plan is to get him to develop one, I would give him some more turns in the Lehigh Valley rotation and wait for consistently warmer weather, too," Law added.

Law didn't say that Painter would never be ready.

In fact, the evaluator made a statement that was eye-catching for many.

"His delivery is still fantastic — how often do you hear me say that about any pitcher? — and he can throw the fastball for strikes, and maybe every other pitch but the slider right now," he wrote.

That's a great sign of what is potentially to come.

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