Phillies' Painter gets a grip on AFL competition with his new slider
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In many ways, Glendale’s starter Thursday was the old Andrew Painter, the one who posted a zero in 11 of his 22 appearances and finished with a 1.56 ERA across three levels during a legendary 2022 run. In other ways, it was a new Painter. Sure, he’s
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- In many ways, Glendale’s starter Thursday was the old Andrew Painter, the one who posted a zero in 11 of his 22 appearances and finished with a 1.56 ERA across three levels during a legendary 2022 run.
In other ways, it was a new Painter. Sure, he’s a hurler still building up following 2023 Tommy John surgery. That much we knew. But with every passing outing, the No. 32 overall prospect is showing off an adjusted arsenal that is already paying dividends in the Arizona Fall League.
Painter allowed only one hit while striking out three over three scoreless innings in Glendale’s 9-6 win over Salt River at Salt River Fields. It was the 6-foot-7 right-hander’s first zero-laden outing in a competitive environment since Sept. 9, 2022, at Double-A Reading, and his third fall start marked the longest outing of his stint in the desert -- topping the two frames he posted in his previous two starts. Twenty-six of his 32 pitches went for strikes.
The 22-year-old touched 99.2 mph and averaged 97.1 mph with his 19 heaters, up a tick from his 96.8 average in his previous Desert Dogs outing on June 18. Painter also spun six curveballs in the 80-82 mph range, giving him an option in the lower zone that complemented the rising fastball -- and he didn’t need his changeup with eight righty hitters in the Rafters lineup.
But there's also a relatively new pitch in Painter's repertoire that has piqued interest in Arizona -- a sharp upper-80s offering that needs some clarification on its classification.
“It's a slider,” Painter said. “It’s the same pitch, same grip, just a different thought process. One of them, the slower one, is for a strike most of the time. When I get to two strikes, it's the same grip, but I'm just thinking to go gloveside away to a righty and in on a lefty. I'm just thinking more heater with it. Same grip though.”
Painter started using a harder breaking ball during 2023 Spring Training that had many buzzing about him possibly making the Major League Opening Day roster at just 19. Scott Kingery was quoted in The Athletic at the time, saying he didn’t know Painter threw a cutter. As it turns out, that wasn’t truly the case.
Painter was working with two slider types -- one in the upper 80s that bit hard and another in the low 80s with more sweep. Following the top Phillies pitching prospect's rehab work, the sweeper has been left behind.
“That’s no longer in the arsenal,” he said.
The initial elbow issue that placed Painter on the injured list in the spring of 2023, the eventual TJ surgery that July and the lengthy return process all made developing a still relatively new pitch more difficult, heightening his anticipation to get that slider into true game action.
“It was honestly really good early on throughout mound work, and then kind of hit some hiccups along the way of questioning it,” Painter said. “I'd be overthinking grips. I just had to trust it and roll with it. I was on a backfield, a couple live BPs, so there wasn't really all the pressure in the world to get it right then. I try to build off everything and learn from that, go back and look at the video and see what I like.”
First, it came in the upper 80s, giving him a bridge offering between his high-90s fastball and low-90s breaking ball. Second, the movement profile -- typically around 6-10 inches horizontally with an induced vertical break in the 0-5 range -- seemed like a good fit.
“We're looking for hard and late,” Painter said. “Something that doesn't pop out of the hand as much, looks more like a heater and tunnels heater for 50 feet.”
Salt River had fits with Painter’s seven cutters, which ranged from 85.7 mph to 89.8, on Thursday. Four of the offerings landed for called strikes, with another landing as a swing-and-miss. Only one was put into play, and that was an easy 0-2 flyout by Garrett Martin (Yankees) that left the bat at just 81.7 mph in the third inning.
📩 CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO BEN'S BIZ
Jordan Dissin worked behind the plate with his fellow Phillies prospect for the second time in Painter’s three AFL starts. Painter's elbow concerns and surgery meant the 2022 12th-rounder had yet to work with the righty in a game setting before heading to Glendale. But Dissin knew enough to have an idea of what to expect from one of the game’s best pitching prodigies -- more zeros like Thursday’s outing.
“That's Andrew Painter,” Dissin said. “That's who he is. That's nothing less than what I expect to happen every time that I catch him.”
Through three starts, Painter has allowed three earned runs over seven innings. He’s fanned seven and walked only one in that span, throwing 70 of 94 total pitches for strikes. He’s expanding his workload slightly with plans of hitting 20 innings before the Fall League is out, and an expanded arsenal should lead to more scoreless frames.
“If he can have the stuff he had today for six innings,” Dissin said, “I think a lot of people are going to be happy.”
Sam Dykstra is a reporter for MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter, @SamDykstraMiLB.
Round Rock Shuts Out Reno, 6-0
ROUND ROCK, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: Round Rock RHP Dane Dunning allowed a leadoff triple to start the night then continued to strikeout six consecutive batters. In the bottom of the second, the Express put up five runs on five hits. Round Rock loaded the bags with
Comeback Attempt Falls Short, Aces Beat Express 6-5
ROUND ROCK, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: Reno kicked off the second with a C Aramis Garcia single and 3B Tristin English double. SS Nicky Lopez grounded out but drove in Garcia on the play. 2B Andy Weber hit a sacrifice fly to center field and English came
Walk-Off Magic Continues, Express Beat Aces 2-1
ROUND ROCK, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: RHP Kumar Rocker made a rehab start for the Express on Thursday night. The Rangers’ No. 2 prospect threw 4.0 innings without a run or a hit. Rocker struck out four and walked one. In his longest start of the year,
Round Rock Battles Back, Falls Short to Reno on Wednesday
ROUND ROCK, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: After a 47-minute rain delay, the Aces opened the night with a pair of singles from LF Jake McCarthy and CF Jorge Barrosa. SS Blaze Alexander drove McCarthy in with a groundout and Reno led 1-0 in the first. RF Cristian
Round Rock Walks Off Reno to Open the Series
ROUND ROCK, Texas - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: Express SS Richie Martin scored the night’s first run in the second inning after hitting a one-out single, finding second base on a wild pitch then scoring as 2B Alex De Goti singled. Aces CF Jorge Barrosa and SS Blaze Alexander
Express Drop Finale to Knights, 7-4
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: Round Rock RHP Dane Dunning tossed 4.2 scoreless innings allowing one hit, one walk and striking out four. The Knights exploded for five runs on five hits in the fifth inning. RF Zack DeLoach kicked it off with a solo home run.
Round Rock Battles for 8-6 Win Over Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: The Knights kicked off the bottom of the first with back-to-back home runs from LF Brooks Baldwin and SS Colson Montgomery for a 2-0 advantage. In the top of the third, Express CF Alejandro Osuna drew a leadoff walk then RF Marcus
Express Outlast Knights in Wild 22-13 Victory
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: 1B Blaine Crim gave the Express an early advantage with a solo homer in the first. His ninth of the year put Round Rock up 1-0. Charlotte jumped ahead with two runs on three hits in the bottom half of the inning.
Knights Shutout Express, 8-0
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: Charlotte jumped out to a 3-0 lead behind three home runs in the bottom of the first. CF Brooks Baldwin led off with his first round-tripper of the year then C Kyle Teel and DH Korey Lee homered on back-to-back pitches. The
Round Rock Falls Wednesday Night in Charlotte
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: Round Rock took advantage of two first inning errors from Charlotte to plate three runs. After a one-out single for 1B Blaine Crim, DH Dustin Harris reached on a throwing error. 3B Cody Freeman walked before LF Kellen Strahm scored Crim on
Express Earn Series Opener Over Knights, 5-1
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: The Knights put two on in the second with a pair of singles from SS Colson Montgomery and C Kyle Teel. 3B Bryan Ramos grounded into a fielder’s choice but Montgomery scored on the play, giving Charlotte a 1-0 lead. Round Rock
Express Stir Up Magic, Beat Comets in Wild Walk-Off Thriller
ROUND ROCK, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: Round Rock RHP Gerson Garabito threw 6.0 complete innings, allowing just one hit and no runs while RHP Bobby Miller held the Express scoreless on two hits in 6.0 innings. The Comets got on the board in the seventh as RF
Oklahoma City Takes Down Round Rock 7-3 on Saturday Night
ROUND ROCK, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: In the fourth, Oklahoma City SS Alex Freeland singled then stole second. 1B Ryan Ward hit a single to RF Marcus Smith and Freeland scored on Smith’s fielding error. The Comets led 1-0. Round Rock took the lead in the bottom
Round Rock Falls to Oklahoma City, 8-2
ROUND ROCK, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: Oklahoma City loaded the bases and LF Steward Berroa hit a sacrifice fly to center field giving the Comets an early 1-0 edge in the first. The Express put two runners on with a DH Chad Wallach single and a walk
Express Outlast Comets as De Goti Collects Walk-Off Single
ROUND ROCK, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: RF Marcus Smith got the E-Train rolling with a two-strike, two-out homer off the batter’s eye in center field. Smith’s second home run of the year put the Express ahead 1-0 in the second. Round Rock added three runs on three
Express Shutout Comets on Wednesday Night
ROUND ROCK, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: Round Rock put two on in the second with a C Cooper Johnson walk and SS Jonathan Ornelas single. DH Chad Wallach sent Johnson around with a single and the Express took a 1-0 lead. In his next at-bat, Wallach recorded
Round Rock Drops Opener to Oklahoma City, 8-5
ROUND ROCK, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: The Express struck first in the bottom of the second as C Cooper Johnson recorded his first home run at the Triple-A level in his first at-bat at Dell Diamond. RF Kellen Strahm was aboard after drawing a leadoff walk. Round
Express Fall to Chihuahuas in Series Finale
EL PASO, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: Round Rock CF Kellen Strahm led off the game with a single before DH Jake Burger put the Express on the board with his second home run in a Round Rock uniform. Burger’s line-drive homer got the E-Train out to a
Express Drop Series, Chihuahuas Earn 14-8 Victory
EL PASO, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: The Express grabbed a 1-0 lead with two hits in the second. 1B Justin Foscue led off with a double and SS Jonathan Ornelas sent him around with a single into left field. El Paso answered with a run in the
Express Fall in Walk-Off Fashion to Chihuahuas
EL PASO, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: Round Rock would opened the scoring with two runs in the top of the third. El Paso LHP Kyle Hart recorded two quick outs but the E-Train put two on with a SS Jonathan Ornelas single and a walk from 1B
Express INF Blaine Crim, RHP Cole Winn Earn Texas Rangers Minor League Awards for April
ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Texas Rangers announced their minor league award winners for the month of April on Friday morning. Round Rock Express 1B Blaine Crim was named the organization’s Player of the Month while RHP Cole Winn was listed as the Reliever of the Month. Crim batted .313
Round Rock Hangs On For 5-4 Win Over El Paso
EL PASO, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: Round Rock RF Marcus Smith made a loud entrance with a solo home run in his first at-bat with the Express in 2025. Smith’s 407-foot homer gave the E-Train a 1-0 lead in the third. The Chihuahuas answered with a run
Chihuahuas Bite Express on Wednesday, 12-4
EL PASO, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: El Paso jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first. DH Jake Cronenworth got on with a walk and came around to score on a two-out single from LF Tirso Ornelas. The Chihuahuas added four in the
El Paso Slugs Past Round Rock For 9-7 Win
EL PASO, Tex. - BOX SCORE HOW IT HAPPENED: The Express plated two in the first as 1B Jake Burger walked in his first plate appearance with Round Rock. Burger scored on a 3B Cody Freeman double and CF Sam Haggerty sent Freeman home with a single. The Chihuahuas responded