Andrew Painter's ascent has been halted. For now. The Phillies’ prized pitching prospect suffered a sprained ulnar collateral ligament after his Grapefruit League debut on March 1 and is resting his powerful right arm. But Painter still isn’t far from reaching the big leagues and making an impact with the 2022 NL champions. Here’s what to know about MLB Pipeline’s No. 6 prospect.

FAST FACTS
MLB organization: Phillies
Birthdate: April 10, 2003 (Age 19; 2023 is his age-20 season)
Primary position: Starting pitcher
Height/weight: 6-foot-7, 215 lbs.
Bats/throws: Right/right
Hometown: Pompano Beach, Fla.
School(s): Calvary Christian (Fla.) Academy
Drafted: First round, 13th overall, 2021 (by PHI)
ETA: 2023

Pathway to Philly

Painter committed to play baseball at the University of Florida as a high school freshman and signed with the Gators as a senior. But after rocketing up Draft boards during a standout career at Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Painter never made it to Gainesville.

The Phillies picked Painter No. 13 overall in the 2021 Draft following a senior season in which he pitched to an ERA of 0.31, striking out more than two batters per inning. The right-hander was named the Florida Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year.

After signing with Philadelphia for a $3.9 million bonus, Painter pitched six scoreless innings in Rookie ball in September 2021, totaling 12 strikeouts. His brief pro debut only set the stage for things to come.

Showing strikeout stuff

Painter’s 2022 numbers leap off the page: 155 strikeouts in just 103 2/3 innings, an ERA of 1.56 and a WHIP of 0.89. Even in his age-19 season, Painter was special, thanks to an arsenal of pitches at his disposal -- including a dynamic fastball that touched triple digits. Painter averaged more than 96 mph with his fastball in his first full professional season, and the pitch received a plus grade from MLB Pipeline. But that’s not all.

A slider sitting in the low 80s provides a perfect complement. Painter throws a curveball in the upper 70s and has shown strides with his changeup. In the 2022-23 offseason, Painter also began learning to throw a cutter that the Phillies hope will be effective against left-handed batters. The righty hurler displayed reverse splits in 2022, faring better against lefties (.163 batting average) than righties (.193).

An awesome April

It didn’t take Painter long in 2022 to showcase what he could do. In his first start for Single-A Clearwater last April 9, Painter pitched three innings and recorded all nine outs by strikeout. The next day, he celebrated his 19th birthday. Painter threw four hitless innings with seven K’s in his next start. In his third appearance, he fanned a ridiculous 14 batters across five innings of one-hit ball. He allowed just one run all month, and it was unearned.

By June, sporting a 1.40 ERA, Painter was promoted to High-A Jersey Shore. He posted a 0.98 ERA there and was bumped up to Double-A Reading in August. Despite being 5.5 years younger than the average pitcher in the Eastern League, Painter still put up a 2.54 ERA in his five Double-A starts. In 28 1/3 innings, he allowed just two walks while striking out 37 batters.

The generational divide

On Feb. 16, the date of the Phillies’ first Spring Training workout for pitchers and catchers, Painter offered a reminder of just how young he really is. When it comes to his music taste, the teenage pitcher said he preferred “old stuff” -- which, to him, includes songs from the early 2010s, the 2000s and “maybe down into the 1990s.”

In addition to being painful to anyone from an older generation, Painter’s statement is proof he’s in rarefied air. Only three pitchers born in 2000 or later -- Chase Silseth, Ronny Henriquez and Simeon Woods Richardson -- pitched in the big leagues in 2022. Woods Richardson, the youngest of the three, was born Sept. 27, 2000.

The day Painter was born -- April 10, 2003 -- 50 Cent’s “In da Club” was the Billboard No. 1 song. No word on if it’s one of Painter’s favorite “oldies.”