February 11, 2025

After being selected in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft, Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter (elbow) tossed 103 2/3 innings in 2022, moving from Single-A to Double-A while posting a 1.56 ERA with 155 strikeouts and 25 walks. He looked like the best pitching prospect in baseball, and it was not close. Painter was on the verge of making his MLB debut out of spring training in 2023 and would have been 19 when he debuted. Painter logged 15 2/3 innings in the Arizona Fall League, posting a 2.30 ERA with 18 strikeouts and four walks. He underwent Tommy John surgery in July 2023 and is still making his way back. Phillies president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, said: "He (Painter) will build up at some point through the minors, but we're going to save a lot of his innings until we get to July-ish for the big league level. It might be June, it might be August, but you can't use too many of them at the Minor League level." Given that the Phillies want to save Painter for the stretch run and playoffs, it makes it very hard to draft him outside of deeper draft and hold leagues. The arm talent is there, and the arsenal looked back in the Arizona Fall League, but the innings will be a significant question mark in 2025, making him an avoid in most redraft leagues.--Chris Clegg - RotoBaller