Andrew Painter continues Arizona Fall League dominance with impressive third appearance

The Philadelphia Phillies stirred up some excitement when they announced that Andrew Painter would be taking the mound in the Arizona Fall League.

After two years out of the spotlight following Tommy John surgery, Painter’s re-emergence has Phillies fans dreaming big once again—and with good reason.

The 22-year-old has been lights-out in his recent AFL outings, the most impressive being a dominant three-inning start in his third appearance. Painter allowed just one hit over those three scoreless innings, striking out three and commanding the strike zone with authority.

This is the deepest Andrew Painter has pitched into a game so far as he ramps up, and his improvement with each start has made him a must-watch in the AFL. In total, Painter has pitched 10 innings in the league, allowing three earned runs on eight hits with 10 strikeouts and only one walk.

Andrew Painter AFL Dominance:

Back-to-back scoreless 3-inning outings for Phillies' Andrew Painter as he tops out at 99 mph again today.

Through four Arizona Fall League starts:
10 IP
8 H
3 R/ER
1 BB
10 K pic.twitter.com/QBn4h0bkKJ

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) October 30, 2024

Two of those runs came in his very first outing, where, understandably, Andrew Painter shook off two years’ worth of rust. But since then, he’s been nothing short of impressive.

Painter is sticking to a tight pitch limit as he rebuilds his arm strength, but he’s showing clear progress, health, and an ability to handle some of the top minor-league talent with ease.

During Glendale’s 8-7 victory on Wednesday, Painter utilized all four of his pitches for the first time this fall. His four-seam fastball reached velocities up to 99 mph, averaging close to 97 mph. He effectively mixed in a low-80s curveball and an upper-80s slider.

Painter added a changeup to his pitching repertoire, using it four times at speeds of 90-91 mph, and with lower spin rates of 1,550 to 1,740 RPM. Before his injury, the 6-foot-7 righty was an impressive prospect due to his strong pitches and ability to throw strikes.

After missing significant time, he has returned to form, throwing 25 of his 33 pitches for strikes, giving him a strike percentage of 74.8 (127 pitches, 95 strikes).

I mean it really doesn’t get any better than that, right? The Phillies have to be jumping for joy watching Andrew Painter in the Arizona Fall League. He’s doing literally what everyone was hoping he would do by absolutely dominating.

Dave Dombrowski recently mentioned that Painter is under consideration for a fifth rotation spot next season, and outings like these make that possibility look more realistic by the day.

If Painter can finish the AFL season strong and continue this upward trajectory through Spring Training, the Phillies might just have a new arm to keep their rotation strong next year.

Either way, Phillies fans should keep Painter on their radar; he’s making his case in Arizona loud and clear. Keep an eye on Griff McGarry too – he’s been great in Arizona but is still battling through control issues.

Watch Griff McGarry…

Phillies prospect Griff McGarry has kept opponents scoreless in the Arizona Fall League this season.

McGarry’s stats:

3 G | 6.2 IP | 2 H | 0 ER | 6 BB | 9 K pic.twitter.com/kqilfepIde

— Phillies Tailgate (@PhilsTailgate) October 28, 2024

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