Phillies prospect Andrew Painter has been making waves in the baseball world with his recent impressive performances.
Painter's fastball, which had been a major concern for him this season, has finally started to look like its pre-injury self. In his last start against the Cardinals, he carved them up for eight strikeouts while allowing just one hit in seven innings. His fastball generated five swinging strikes on 15 swings, sitting up at 97.3 mph on average and inducing two more inches of vertical break than his season average.
Painter's talent has never been in question, but he has struggled with injuries and a lackluster fastball. After two lost seasons following Tommy John surgery in 2025, he returned to the minors with a 5.26 ERA in Triple-A last season. This season, he was sent back down to Triple-A in mid-June with a 7.06 ERA.
However, in his recent starts, Painter has started to look like the best pitching prospect in the game. His changeup has been solid since he came back, but it's the fastball that really stands out as a potential difference maker for him.
Painter's fastball has gone from a mediocre shape to a very good one, which helps explain why he suddenly started missing bats with the pitch. His career was derailed by an elbow injury just as it looked like he was about to make his MLB debut, and after two completely lost seasons, he came back from Tommy John surgery in 2025.
It's way too early to declare that Painter's four-seamer is suddenly a weapon, but his recent performances have Fantasy owners taking notice. He could be very interesting if he's now figuring out how to maximize his talent. For now, he's a pitcher to keep an eye on, but it's too early to say if he's a must-add in all leagues.
Painter's performances have sparked Fantasy owners to look for other players with upside. One such player is Ralphy Velazquez, who had a three-homer game Saturday down at Triple-A and is hitting .381 with 14 homers in 16 games in August.
Source: CBS