Andrew Painter can ‘100%’ envision joining 2023 rotation if Phillies are ‘ready for that’

A couple of hours earlier than Thursday night time’s recreation, Andrew Painter sat within the Phillies’ dugout and seemed out on the box because the Atlanta Braves took batting apply.

Can he believe status at the mound right here subsequent season?

“I mean, 100%,” Painter mentioned. “If they’re ready for that.”

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Who wouldn’t be able for a 6-foot-7 right-hander with a 98 mph fastball, slider, curveball, and rising changeup? Oh, and did we point out that he received’t flip 20 till April?

Painter was once at Citizens Bank Park to obtain the Paul Owens Award, offered once a year since 1986 to the Phillies’ most sensible minor league participant and pitcher. (Darick Hall, the placement participant recipient, couldn’t attend as a result of he was once taking part in for triple-A Lehigh Valley).

But president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski mentioned in July that he’s unafraid to transport younger pitchers briefly throughout the farm device, and few pitchers within the minors had been extra dominant than Painter, the thirteenth general pick out within the 2021 draft.

In 22 begins between low-A Clearwater, high-A Jersey Shore, and double-A Reading, Painter had a 1.56 ERA and a 38.7% strikeout price in 103⅔ innings. He led all Phillies minor leaguers in strikeouts (155) and was once the primary to publish a sub-1.60 ERA with a minimum of 145 strikeouts in a season since Cole Hamels in 2003.

“First full year, to receive this award and get through it healthy the whole year and just to stay consistent the whole year, it was great,” Painter mentioned. “I think I showed a lot of improvements from beginning to end and just got better as we went. It feels great to be rewarded with this.”

Painter cited pitching deeper into begins and refining his secondary pitches as the largest spaces of expansion this season. His changeup, specifically, become a very powerful pitch after he arrived in double A because the youngest participant within the Eastern League.

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“In double A, I kind of started using the changeup a little more,” Painter mentioned. “It was really cool to see because sometimes they cheat for the fastball and try to get on that. Flash the changeup every now and then, you can kind of see the difference of getting off the fastball now. It just made everything a lot smoother.”

Dombrowski mentioned Painter will likely be invited to primary league camp in spring coaching subsequent yr. It’s imaginable the Phillies could have a emptiness within the beginning rotation, with Kyle Gibson, Noah Syndergaard, and perhaps Zach Eflin eligible for unfastened company.

“Just got to go into the offseason like I always do, get after it in the weight room, and prepare for spring training no matter what,” Painter mentioned. “Whether that’s double A, triple A, or here throughout the year, it’s going to be the same thing where I’m pitching every sixth day and just worry about that.”