WATCH: Andrew Painter hits Triple Digits in first MiLB start since 2022

Drew Smith
April 12, 2025
Phillies
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The radar gun said 100. The calendar said April 2025. And for the first time in what felt like a lifetime, Phillies fans got to watch Andrew Painter throw a pitch in a real Minor League game.

Andrew Painter made his long-awaited return on Friday night for Single-A Clearwater, and while the final line wasn’t pristine, the takeaway was clear: The kid is back.

Painter, who hasn’t pitched in a Minor League game since 2022, needed Tommy John surgery in July 2023 and spent the better part of two years rehabbing in the shadows.

He gave us a taste of the future with a dominant Arizona Fall League showing last year, but Friday was different.

Andrew Painter is BACK

Andrew Painter touches 💯 mph three times and notches three strikeouts in his 2025 debut!

MLB's No. 7 prospect (@Phillies) logs whiffs on nine of 17 swings for the Single-A @Threshers. pic.twitter.com/h00rN0HOqI
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 11, 2025

Painter touched 100 mph three times, averaged 98+ on the heater, and racked up nine whiffs on just 17 swings in a 1 2/3 inning outing. He struck out three, allowed a couple of soft singles, walked one, and watched both inherited runners score after he left the game.

The numbers don’t matter here. What matters is that Andrew Painter is throwing bullets again, and the fastball looks as nasty as ever with elite spin (2,528 rpm average).

Andrew Painter’s three strikeouts from Friday night’s season debut seemed to encapsulate his start in general. Struggled to control the strike zone, let alone command it. But it’s clear the velocity is fine as he hit 100 mph three separate times pic.twitter.com/8lDruLOnvY
— Mitch Rupert (@Mitch_Rupert) April 12, 2025

For the Phillies — a team that’s been hanging around the contender conversation the last few years — Painter is the cheat code waiting to be unlocked. They’ve taken it slow with the 22-year-old, who looked like a future ace when he carved up three Minor League levels in 2022 with a 1.56 ERA and 155 K’s in 103.2 IP.

Andrew Painter’s First Inning

Since then, it’s been a steady diet of rehab, setbacks, and patience. But watching him climb back to the mound on Friday and bring that same swing-and-miss juice is the first sign of light at the end of the tunnel.

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The plan is still to ramp him up carefully — no Spring Training action this year, limited innings, a slow build. But don’t be surprised if he climbs the ladder quickly, especially if he keeps overpowering hitters the way he did last night.