November 11, 2024 1:35 PM : Painter has a 2.08 ERA, 0.77 WHIP, 12 strikeouts and two walks in 13 innings through five Arizona Fall League starts.
Analysis: He last pitched three scoreless and hitless frames Nov. 5, and could make a final AFL appearance this week. Prior to the fall league, Painter hadn't pitched since 2022, yet he leads qualified AFL pitchers in ERA and WHIP. He has used all four of his pitches this fall, with his four-seam fastball up to 99 mph and averaging 97 mph, per Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com. His stuff is all the way back, and so is his control, which was part of what made Painter such a special prospect before Tommy John surgery. It's unclear if the Phillies will ease Painter into action at Triple-A or give him a shot to win a job in the big-league rotation out of spring training. He threw 103.2 innings in 2022, and will finish with just under 20 innings this fall, so a capped, unpredictable workload is the main drawback with the 21-year-old righty in redraft leagues.